By Rilwan Muhammad
The action – or let’s call it inaction – of some people in authority makes people draw the surmisal that leadership at the local government level is now a mere appointment by the state Governor, so that the appointee is given the opportunity to live in the lap of luxury for some time, before the grandeur of the moment is abruptly stopped.
While this is true with many people who have been made to wear the mantle of steering the wheel of some affairs in certain areas, the case is not the same with some. The former, busy – perhaps – taking delight in the benefits that come with being in such highly placed positions hardly remember the weight they carry atop their head; but the latter, aware of the sanctity of the oath they took, live in fear that, should they not deliver on the mandates, they would be made to suffer the consequences in the next world. This moral fibre in these special leaders pushes them to do good, just in the manner their people, who live in complete hope of a bright future, would appreciate and enjoy the basic necessities of their lives.
Gwaram Local Government has had different leaders in the past. Thanks to their efforts, albeit some of their plans had proved to be but a pipe dream as the people in many communities lived in the pious hope of having a taste of clean drinking water and a sight of electricity in their homes for daily domestic chores.
People were left to prospect for the things they ordinarily should not bother looking for, because it is their entitlement; the provision of which should be made to them gratis and not even at their behest. Power in Gwaram and its environs was a scarce commodity. This had lingered on so that people became stripped of the hope that power would be restored one day, and that they would, with consummate ease some day, have access to portable, hygienic drinking water in their communities. If they were told a leader would come who would have concern for them and be considerate enough to understand their plights and address them head-on, they might regard that as tale.
But the coming of Hon. Zahraddeen Abubakar saw the beginning of a robust shift from the status quo to the evolvement of modern Gwaram.
Sworn in on July 1, 2021, Hon. Zahraddeen Abubakar went full steam ahead with discharging the responsibilities he shouldered. And today, as he marks 100 days in office, he has recorded so many achievements as though he has spent a year or two in office.
Gwaram Local Government is witnessing changes in many sectors that are critical to the development of any society. These achievements, a few of which I will mention below, underscore his passion for development and his drive for improving the quality of life of the people of Gwaram Local Government Area.
1. Laws and Public Policies:
It goes without saying that Gwaram was home to some social anomalies. There were brothel houses, drug peddling, local alcohol production, to mention just a few. With the coming of Hon. Abubakar, he put a stop to that by prohibiting the production and consumption of alcohol and banned commercial sex workers from Gwaram Local Government Area. The decision was to check moral decadence in the area. This was later followed by the ban on accommodating unidentified persons in lodges. The idea was to ensure a closer check on persons coming from other places to stay in Gwaram. With the law banning commercial sex workers in place, the Chairman was magnanimous enough to announce his readiness to take the financial responsibility of marrying off any sex worker who came with a suitor.
He also, to preserve the environment and prevent further threat to desertification, banned illegal felling of trees and other forest resources across the Local Government Area.
Similarly, to avert the chances of farmer/herder clashes in rural areas, he gave directive that cassava farmers should demarcate, nay paddock, their farmlands.
The issuance of indigene certificate was also revisited. The many irregularities identified to be with the process were assiduously checked and a new shape was given to the whole system.
2. Power Sector:
The sector was laden with so many problems – there were dysfunctional transformers, damaged equipment and malfunctioning power facilities that resulted in the collapse of the power sector of the Local Government.
One sector the Zahraddeen-led administration focuses attention on is: power. This is in recognition of its importance and how critical its improvement is in developing other sectors. After paying assessment visit to the power facilities, the Chairman directed that they be repaired and other necessary equipment procured to take Gwaram out of the darkness it plunged into for years.
10 transformers in different parts of the Local Government Area were fixed and the good story now is: the good people of Gwaram are enjoying relatively stable power supply.
No wonder there is now improved socio-economic activities in the area.
3. Water Supply:
Water is undoubtedly an indispensable part of human life. Its provision is key to improving livelihood.
Hon. Zahraddeen Abubakar is committed to improving access to safe drinking water. This was seen in his orchestrated efforts that galvanised the fixing of dysfunctional water facilities across Gwaram Local Government Area. He directed the repair work of water booster stations, handpump boreholes, piping system of water in some communities and approved the purchase of other water facilities.
As we mark his 100 days in office, this project is at its advanced stage of completion. At the Local Government Secretariat, the overhead water tanks and taps are all back to service. This is the story in communities with water challenge as they are now saved the drudgery of sourcing water from distant places.
4. Education:
Should we relegate education to the background in our societies, we would then have to see ourselves shamelessly wallowing in the mud of backwardness. This is what Hon. Abubakar does not want to see; he wants to see Gwaram making appreciable steps towards becoming a developed society. The prominence he gives to education justifies the above assertion. “Our children”, he always says, “must be given the right and better education”. Within the short span of his leadership, his crusade of repositioning education in Gwaram is coming into fruition. To create an enabling environment for learning, he directed the purchase of writing materials and the immediate distribution of same to schools accordingly. He has paid countless unscheduled visits to primary and secondary schools across the Local Government Area to see for himself the situation of the schools and how teaching and learning processes were being run. This, he said, was to warn the teachers against dereliction of duty.
5. Security:
In an insecure atmosphere, nothing will work. Gwaram Chairman, aware of the relevance of peace to societal development and nation building, was quick to set up a powerful security council which meets at regular interval to review the security situation of the Local Government with a view to finding proactive and lasting solutions to security challenges where they occur. He also adopted different strategies directed towards promoting peace in the area and the neighbouring towns. For example, he was recently in Misau Local Government Area where he met with the Council Chairman and discussed issues of security importance. This came after he visited Darazo and Giade Local Government Areas of Bauchi State.
The Chairman has also directed the repair of Gwaram Police Patrol Vehicle to help in reducing criminal activities in the area.
6. Health Sector:
Shortly after his assumption of office, a cholera epidemic broke out. Stringent measures were put in place to stop its spread. A quick response team was sent to the affected communities to provide the necessary services and survey the situation. In augmenting the effort of the state government, the Chairman directed the purchase of drugs and provided the needed assistance to fight the plague.
The Primary Healthcare Facilities in Gwaram that are in deplorable states will soon get a befitting look as the Chairman has already put forth his request for their refurbishment and upgrade.
7. Constitution of Powerful Committees:
The all-inclusive administration of Hon. Zahraddeen Abubakar has already unlocked the secrets of a successful leadership by charging the good people of Gwaram to contribute their quota in the development of the area. This was achieved through the constitution of more than 10 committees to spearhead the task of identifying problems and their solutions in key sectors.
Some of the constituted committees in the first 100 days of the astute leader include:
i. Advisory Committee on Health, Water Resources and Environmental Sanitation
ii. Advisory Committee on Economic Development and Management
iii. Advisory Committee on Agricultural Revenue
iv. Advisory Committee on Persons with Disabilities, Disaster Management and Social Development
v. Advisory Committee on Sports and Youth Development
vi. Advisory Committee on Nomadic Education
vii. Advisory Committee on Agriculture, Climate Change and Natural Resources
viii. Advisory Committee on the Elimination of Drug Abuse
ix. Advisory Committee on Power
x. Advisory Committee on Women and Child Protection
8. Reclamation of Local Government Properties:
Many properties belonging to Gwaram Local Government were, before the coming of Hon. Abubakar, scattered across the state. Through the Transition Committee he constituted, many of these properties have been reclaimed and now under the full care of Gwaram.
All land illegally acquired was revoked.
People encroaching on government land were warned against so, as proper sanctions have been rolled-out for offenders.
9. Service Reform and Refurbishment of Local Government Secretariat:
With the coming of Hon. Zahraddeen Abubakar, senses have been knocked into the way and manner people were carrying-out their duties. Dereliction of duty was a thing many people were fond of. But the business is now not as usual since the assumption of office of the architect of modern Gwaram. “Public service”, he says, “must be discharged in accordance with the provision of the law.” And this he practises himself. He comes to office in the early morning hours and stays up till late evening hours, burying himself in work – a more clearer demonstration of “leadership by example”.
The Local Government Secretariat is now back to normal life. Power problems, water issues have all been fixed.
10. Fruitful Visit to the Seat of Power:
A couple of weeks ago, the Executive Chairman was in Abuja where he visited ministries and agencies and put forward his requests for intervention in different areas. Some of the Federal Ministries and Agencies he visited are:
i. Federal Ministry of Power – request for rural electrification
ii. Federal Ministry of Water Resources – request for drilling of 200 handpump boreholes and motorised boreholes in some selected communities.
iii. Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development – request for construction of rural roads
iv. Federal Ministry of Environment – request for the release of 1 million seedlings for afforestation programme
iv. Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development – request for intervention in erosion control and provision of relief items to victims of flood
v. Federal Ministry of Power – request for rural electrification
vi. Office of the Director General, NITDA – request for the donation of 100 laptops
vii. Office of the Director General, NEMA – request for intervention in erosion control and provision of palliatives to flood victims
viii. Office of the Corps Marshall, Federal Road Safety Commission – request for the establishment of FRSC Unit Command in Gwaram
ix. Office of the Inspector General of Police – request for the establishment of Police Training School and Police Vocational and Technical School in Gwaram
x. Office of the SSA to the President on SDGs – request for the renovation of Primary Healthcare Facilities in Gwaram Local Government Area
xi. Office of the Executive Secretary, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency – request for the establishment of PHCs in Jikas, Haya and Sagu communities
xii. Office of the Managing Director, The Nigeria Rural Electrification Agency – request for the repair work of Gwaram rural electrification
xiii. Office of the Director General, Energy Commission of Nigeria – request for the installation of solar-powered street lights in Sara Community.
As we celebrate you on the occasion of your 100 days in office, Sir, we also appreciate your laudable strides in bringing positive development to the good people of Gwaram Local Government Area.
May Allah continue to guide and protect you!
© October 9, 2021
reedwandk@gmail.com
