By Jamila Musa Muhammad
A political scientist once remarked and I quote: “Frustration is a proof of failure and failure is the opposite of the essence of living. One of the worst kinds of frustration is having a gap between humanity and whatever they desire, to fulfill the reason for living in a world where wrong appropriation of human resources has been the chief challenge of the history of African politics and Nigeria specifically’’ This scholarly postulation can be critique with a view to faulting the validity of such statement in 21st Century Nigeria. However, men of rich wisdom would say never throw away the baby with the bad water. In the light of this, I would like to add that the frustration of the citizens of any state is premised on the absence of the right leadership bridge between the citizens and what they ought to get as critical shareholders in the affairs and running of the state. Over the years, some Nigerians have complained not because the resources are not there but because the political leadership bridge between Nigerians and their resources through good governance has been bankrupt in connecting Nigerians to their collective birth-rights with regard to natural resources. In a place where good governance is being supplanted with greed, corruption and gross mismanagement, citizens ‘frustration becomes the norm.
In Gombe State, the situation over the years has not been a bad outing in terms of leadership but many believe that in 2019, the prayer of every Gombite is to have the state ranked as the number one example of good governance in Nigeria in the nearest future. Based on competence, ability to mobilize resources for the good of the people, ability to close the poverty gap through massive human capital investment, in this regard public opinion has favored Dr Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna (JIG), the emancipator as some call him. Dr JIG has been termed by many across board as the necessary bridge between Gombe State and good governance in view of his unhidden track records. Late Kofi Annan, former UN secretary general, defines good governance as perhaps the single most important factor in eradicating poverty and promoting development. For this to happen there must be a courageous human to force good governance into existence as there are more enemies of good governance than friends in our contemporary African societies. JIG has the courage, tenacity and ambitious attitude that are required to integrate the necessities that would make the system of ensuring that the people of Gombe get what they ought to get in education, health, agriculture, social investment. JIG has proven over the years to be a man that has systematic and institutional approach to issues that concern the public.
According to JIG, when there is a right and people oriented system in place; it will be easy to get people to align to the right way of doing things to deliver good governance in any society. The Sardaunan Gombe, is a man of principles and a good leader worthy of emulation. He believes that governance is a product of having the institutions in place to reward and to punish people in power by way of checking financial recklessness and cutting wastages. In one of the first trip of Barrack Obama to African (Ghana) the Former US President, canvassed for strong institutions rather than strong individuals to drive the necessary development in Africa. JIG’s proposed style of building strong institutions in Gombe State is one pointer that he is a leader of digital mind like Obama and one of the very few who has mentally jettisoned the old fashion of governance that enriches leaders while the poverty profile of citizens’ blossom uncontrollably.
If we x-ray the print and electronic media, it will be discovered that people from different quarters in Gombe State and beyond have been making their contributions their piece in support of JIG. If he wasn’t that good, the good people within and outside of Gombe wouldn’t be publicizing this leader whom many refer to as a man of proven principles to move Gombe to the next level of financially-prudent and fiscally-disciplined state where every loophole as well as wastage is blocked while leveraging on that blockage to have more than enough to channel into aggressive infrastructural development and wealth creation for citizens. If JIG wasn’t good he would not be getting the amount of supports, he has had when people learnt of his desire to serve his people. JIG has been serving the good people of Gombe State before now using his personal platform and resources but the clarion call over the years is for an enlarged platform to avail more people to taste what it feels like to have the Sardaunan Gombe as a GOVERNOR of the state to guarantee an equitable distribution of Gombe resources.
The unflinching supports of the youths of Gombe toward JIG are anchored on his ever futuristic plans for the good people of the state. For instance, when JIG was asked of his plans for agriculture, he said “ First, we would purchase modern tractors to ensure a gradual but permanent switch over from manual and traditional agricultural practices to modern and mechanized agriculture with improved seedlings and fertilizers to ensure that farming is made easier and attractive to the youths. Secondly, we would give both loans and grant to fast-tract productivity within the shortest possible time. To ensure that there is all year round employment for our farmers, we would build massive irrigation facilities which will supply water through surface and underground water supply channels to ensure that crops and animals get the needed water to flourish while Gombe farmers smile to the banks at ease’’. I don’t envisage any better leader than JIG come 2019.
Looking at his plans for agriculture, it is obvious that the Sardaunan Gombe is really the needed bridge between the people and good governance. If he becomes Governor of the state and implements these plans, it means that the story of jobless youths on our streets will become a thing of the past as they would be busy on their farms with their tractors. This will not only improve the economy of Gombe but guarantee food security not only for Gombe but the nation. In many developed countries of the world, some leaders are seen to be more visible, more radical, more influential and more efficacious than others because they do not act in isolation in either determining or implementing their policies. This is the kind of leader that JIG represents. This style of leadership would bring good governance to the corridors of the good people of the state.
In an effort to get things done and objectives achieved to better the lives of the Gombites, the Sardaunan Gombe has constantly interacted with others, many of whom have always operated openly with him in a family-like manner. If JIG is given the chance to govern the state, this skill
will be useful in influencing the public policy agenda in bringing to reality, what the people really want. Leadership is about making choices and a good leader may not even personally initiate ideas for change but does recognize one when he hears it from the public. JIG’s style of interaction with the people will be an advantage when he gets into power as he will make the people critical partners and stakeholders in policy formulation and implementations.
All politicians are powerful people but not all powerful people can lead. Recognizing this fact does not diminish the impact of political leaders in the state but re-awakens the fact that the Sardaunan Gombe who has humbly on his own platform arisen to the level where many now see him as a leader to govern the state is a show of JIG’s overwhelming yet simple personality. The clamour for JIG who is trusted and whose power is seen to be growing, attracting followers beyond Gombe can only be rewarded if JIG is allowed to become the systemic GOVERNOR that would serve as the necessary bridge between Gombe State and good governance in 2019.
Jamila Musa Muhammad writes from Gombe and can be reached via [email protected]
