GOVERNOR BALA MUHAMMAD'S TWO YEARS OF CREATING A SOLACE FOUNDATION TO BAUCHI STATE. PART (1).

CREATING SOLACE

Creating a solace to beautiful Bauchi State, job Weldon by the present Governor of Bauchi State, Sen. Bala Muhammad Abdulkadir. There was a divergent opinion in 2019, as to whom the votes shall be casted by be people? 

Gov. Bala Mohammad Abdulkadir polled a total of 515,113 votes to defeat the then incumbent governor Muhammed Abubakar Esq who polled 500, 625 votes. In addition to some contenders famously known for their personalities, Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate of PRP was also among the candidates defeated by Ƙauran Bauchi in an election that was widely believed to be a protest vote by the people. Having being fed up with the past APC administration in the State that was seen to be a non-performing one.

There was a general opinion before 2019 that, Kaura will not be a choiced GOVERNOR, people always references his antecedents as former FCT Minister during GEJ administration. His tenure as FCT Minister was sorrounded by speculative assertions of corruption and mismanagement, allegations of maladministration and so forth, the former Minister was also a one time customer of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission EFCC, though there was a court ruling in his favour that compelled the EFCC to compensate him for time wasting. 

It is indeed a great time today for Bauchi State People, that after the election and subsequent expulsion of the APC government in the State, the PDP Governor is now repositioning the State to greater pace. Infrastructures as well as human capital development in turning around the State. It is an investment that people are yearning since the Ahmad Adamu Mu'azu government.

Seeing Gov. Kaura's uncommon transformation and developmental strides in less than 2 years of his administration, one is tempted to assume that there was no Government in Bauchi State from May 2015 - May 2019. Call it near absence of governance if you like. Some commentators are of the opinion that, the State would have lost focus if the Status quo was maintained in 2019. But the Will of the people was supreme and they did fought for the mandate and today, the mandate speaks volumes of dividend of Democracy, and hopefully the transformation continues till 2023.

It was a good start, the infrastructure revolution comes as a surprise to many, as people do not expected Kaura to make any outstanding performance as Governor, many believe he could be incompetent and lazy. But the ambitious GOVERNOR shows resilience and focus, his astonishing surprising performance today compel a twist on his antagonist to understand that he is the real son of the soil. Despite skinny State purse, shrink incomes and weak IGR the PDP administration intends to withstand all odds and forge ahead to make difference, and here it is, the massive projects speaking for themselves and by themselves.

URBANIZATION OF THE STATE

Urbanisation is an increase in the number of people living in towns and cities. Urbanisation occurs mainly because people move from rural areas to urban areas and it results in growth in the size of the urban population and the extent of urban areas. In this context, Bauchi State population has been on increase in the past 20 years, and the State Capital is mainly affected by the migration, the old City is congested to the brim that it is on the verge of becoming a threat in Primary Healthcare delivery of the population, the first step of the urbanization is to decongest the old cities, thereby creating roads channels within the city wall and outside to beautify the city and creates more access roads for easy conveyance of the people. Township roads Construction were awarded within the first Months of the administration.

(a) Completion of the CBN Roundabout, Federal Low-cost to Railway Road. 

This particular road was a victim of incompetent of the last APC administration, which was abandoned. But it is now been completed by the Ƙaura administration.

(b) Miri to Sabon Kaura Road,

(c) Gubi Dam road,

(d) Sade Akuyam road,

(e) Bayan Nitel to Ibrahim Bako housing estate road,

(f) House of Assembly to Tirwun road,

(g) Gwangwangwan to Bakaro to Kofar Dumi Road,

(h) Muda Lawal market to Bakin Ƙura - Malam Goje Road.

(I) Azare township Road.

(J) Maraban Ganye - Gwalpada in Toro LGA,

(K) Burga to Yelwan Duguri

(L) Malak - Tafshin, Boi - Wai,

(M) Burgel - Bununu,

(n) Itas township road.

These to mention but few.

In addition to that, The Bauchi Government under Gov. Bala Muhammad, in collaboration with the World Bank, has commenced the execution of water projects valued at ₦20 billion to boost water supply in Bauchi metroplis, the scarcity of drinking water hit the State recently, especially the State capital, where the last Bakalori water Project cannot sustain the ever increasing population, as well as the rural water supply ably done to eradicate the hardship in accessing a hygenic drinking water. The project included the rehabilitation of Gubi Dam as well as the rehabilitation and expansion of Gubi water treatment plant. 

There will also be the laying of 1,000-millimetre diameter transmission mains from Gubi dam to Warinje reservoir and construction of seven million-litre reservoir at Buzaye Hill, another one in Miri and Zaranda hill as part of the projects, furthermore,  a  distribution of a 150-kilometre pipeline within the Bauchi metropolitan has already been to a near completion. 

 In addition to that, the Ƙaura administration has embark upon arresting the decadence in Basic Education, by collaborating with the BASUBEB to mitigate the deplorable conditions of our Basic Schools. Rehabilitation of more than 400 Primary Schools were carried out in 2020, while awaiting for a counterpart funding from the UBEC to embark upon the 2021year. The Almajiri School system is also receiving a utmost attention from the government, rehabilitation of some abandoned Tsangaya Qur'anic Schools across the State, which will enable the Tsangaya Schools to have a sense of belonging and condusive atmosphere of learning.

In the next blog I will analyse the issue of debt profile and the accusations of excessive borrowing.

AHMAD M. SALIHU

ahmad.msalihu22@gmail.com