Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema is both a transformationa l leader and a statesman. His foray into politics over a decade ago has brought unprecedented changes to his community, society and the nation as a whole. His visions have been translated into realistic socio-economic achievements that are today being emulated nationwide. As a lawyer, politician and leader, his mission has been to put his community along the path of self-reliance, economic independence and political relevance. His style of leadership can be described as both transformationa l and statesmanlike. According to Esnest Thomp, transformationa l leadership is a style of leadership where the leader is charged with identifying the needed change, creating a vision to guide the change through inspiration and executing the change in tandem with the committed members of the society, while statesman is usually a politician, diplomat or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career at the national or international level. All these attributes have been seen in him throughout his foray into politics and governance, hence the growing eulogies, recognitions and awards from local and international bodies. His almost seven years in the ladder of leadership in Katsina State has seen tremendous achievements that unprecedented since the creation of the state. These achievements are not by accident, they are the results of well-calculated governance designed to change a course of history for a people that has lived in the shadow of past glories. From inception, the administration of Governor Shema set targets it intended to achieve before the end of its first tenure in 2011. It is on record that Katsina State, during this period, was adjudged as the only state in the federation that attained 90 per cent budget implementation. By 2011, after re-election, the government set up the second phase of comprehensive infrastructural development agenda that will see the state transforming into one of the most developed in the country. These infrastructural developments initiated were to move the entire state to a workable, sustainable and realistic entity with mass road networks, drainages, hospitals, schools, and other integrated mechanisms to fast tract the social economic development of the state. Today, no town, city or rural area is left behind in the provision of social amenities and infrastructures in the entire state. This inclusiveness is achieved through carrying the whole community in the decision making process as far as project allocation is concerned through the community development committees. Over the years, Governor Shema has identified and embarked on the execution of relevant development in the state through community participation. Unique demands of communities were identified and provided as part of the administration’ s bottom-top governance. So far, this concept has worked so well that every community in the state is a beneficiary of one infrastructure or the other. In the last seven years, over 200 road networks have been constructed, rehabilitated or dualised in the state. This is apart from the huge sums committed in the upgrading and internalisation of the Katsina airport, to compliment the infrastructural development of the state. In the last 360 days alone, over 30 different road networks with drainages were completed, and others are in the offing. No economy and community can boast of any infrastructural growth without electricity. This has also received commendable attention from the administration as over 200 communities have been connected with the national grid. This is apart from the massive rural electricity projects across the state. Today, Katsina State can be described as a hub of infrastructure in the country. As at today, not many local governments in the country can boast of dualised road networks as seen in Katsina State, where all roads at the major local government councils have been dualised with fully working street lights. Over 30 roads have been dualised in the last five years and several others will be dualised before next year. In the last six years also, over 4000 housing units were constructed across all the local government councils of the state to improve shelter to the ordinary man in the state. Many more houses are under construction, and by the end of the year, several other houses will be constructed as part of the housing- for-all project of the state government. In the area of transportation, the state government has acquired over 200 vehicles, including over 20 Marcopolo luxury buses as part of efforts to improve the transportation sector and reduce the menace of road accidents occasioned by poor transport system. One of the biggest infrastructural achievements so far recorded is in the area of education. Billions of naira was injected to ensure the provision of one of the biggest infrastructures in the education sector anywhere in the country. Over N70 billion has been expended in this sector in the last few years alone. The effect of this massive investment is in school enrolment. In 2004, only 142, 729 students were in secondary schools in the state, but today, over 3, 568.000 students attend secondary schools. The state has also introduced free education up to secondary school level with free WEAC/NECO registration. Hundreds of buses were also provided to encourage the punctuality of students. Recently, the state government invested over N2 billion to ensure a solid foundation for the take-off of the Federal University, Dutsinma. There is no doubt that Governor Shema is one of the few transformationa l leaders in the country. He is a true statesman.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 15:51:09 +0000
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