By Usman Abdullahi Koli
It is as if Paul Coelho knew Sen. Bala Mohammed when he said “When you are enthusiastic about what you do, you feel this positive energy. It’s very simple”, for it is quite visible to the blind and audible to the deaf, Bala has carved a niche for himself as an altruistic, enthusiastic, passionate leader in all the offices he occupied with sterling records of success.
Ordinarily, losing a bet, a competition, an election or whatever set goal is not a weakness. Just as winning is not always earned. That is why it is popularly believed that sometimes, God in His wisdom brings us down to teach us that those who lose are not lucky and that our triumph is often not completely deserved; perhaps we were just lucky, it is in this spirit that I call on all who participated but couldn’t cut the mark to work together and lift our dear state to attain its highest potential.
Looking at Bala’s track record, one cannot out rule his prowess in polity, acumen in strategy and stamina in delivery. He developed his constituency as a Senator, contributed immensely to the development of the Federal Capital Territory as a Minister and has now changed the entire narrative of Bauchi State for the better as a Governor, more than any governor in Bauchi State since the return of democracy, the state ganged up to engage him, in 2019 for the humongous task of salvaging it. The instincts of the people of Bauchi were right after all. We are already vindicated.
As a true Nigerian who has the vision of seeing a country we can all be proud of, Bala is taking the bull by the horn to replicate the potpourri of achievements recorded in Bauchi for another four years. Whoever has not been to Bauchi in 5 years may likely need a guide to navigate the city when next he visits; courtesy of the infrastructural development projects springing up in thousands. Presently, the administration had constructed roads across the state capital and some LGAs stretching to over 100 kilometres, while flagging off more than 50 and still executing same projects in and outside the state capital.
The election of Bala by the people of Bauchi to govern for another tenure is a show of faith, trust and solidarity. It is a vote to consolidate on achievements recorded in the areas of;
Education
Education has always been key to unlocking the potentials of people, freeing them from the shackles of ignorance and emancipating them to reach the highest strata possible. The government has so far spent over N13billion on this sector. While two other states in Nigeria owe WAEC and hence couldn’t register tens of thousands of students from public schools for annual examinations, Bala paid for the UTME, NECO and WAEC fees for 3,810 students who got grades ‘A’ and ‘B’ in the previous year’s SSCE aptitude Test in the State, he has been paying these fees consistently since the inception of this administration. Under the watch of Bala, no student will lose out of an opportunity to study abroad just because the government couldn’t pay for his WAEC – which is an internationally recognised O’level certificate. This was out of Governor Bala’s passion for education in order to have a better tomorrow to ensure that the future generations are grown with proper upbringing and cognitive ability.
Health Care
Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) have been built, equipped and furnished to taste at all the local governments in the State. Others were rehabilitated and improved. If one intends to know the real state of affairs in health, he should visit the rural areas, not the cities. Among the achievements recorded are: renovation of about 204 health centres, among which 192 primary health care centers and 12 general hospitals.
Thanks to the Governor’s strategy of seeking out and collaborating with Development Partners with a resolve to fast-track polio immunisation in the state to reduce the proportion of missed children during such exercises. As part of efforts to sustain a polio-free status in Bauchi State, the State Primary Health Care Development Agency (BASPHCDA) has flagged off a door-to-door vaccination campaign against polio virus in the state. Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has directed the conduct of comprehensive sanitation exercises across the 20 local government areas of the state in compliance with the national clean Nigeria campaign; ‘Use the Toilets’ aimed at delivering open defecation-free Nigeria by 2025. The Governor has vowed to end yellow fever in the state.
Security
Safeguarding and protecting the lives and property of the masses is the primary essence of government. In this wise, the governor has distributed 50 vehicles to all military and paramilitary agencies in the state providing the local ones with all that’s required to carry out their activities. He may be carrying the carrot all the time, but Bala is equally the leader that would take the stick where necessary to prevent the breakdown of law and order anywhere in the state. He is such a proactive leader who stops at nothing to protect his people.
Agriculture
On agricultural development, the government produced over 4,000 metric tons of fertilizer. It had sponsored 1000 students to go for a-2-week course programme in Abuja, only to have a better sound knowledge on farming and compete with others in other parts of the country on modern agriculture and productivity.
While most politicians will hide their children in the safety of the country’s capital or even beyond the shores of Nigeria and play dirty politics of leading astray the children of the poor, the son of governor Bala, Shamsuddeen Bala is seen actively involved in the affairs of Bauchi state, fighting for its betterment and aiding his father’s mission of building a developed, peaceful and tranquil Bauchi state for all. As the good people of Bauchi hand the mantle of leadership to Bala again, to take charge of their affairs for another four years, I am certain that he will live up to the expectations and deliver the promises he madein making the Bauchi of our dreams, a reality.
Usman Abdullahi Koli,
mernoukoli@gmail.com
