By Abdullahi Yusuf
What starts well, usually ends well. A journey that begins with a good step normally ends with glory and satisfaction. So also a government formed on the foundation of peace, progress, growth and development ends with glory and contentment.
These facts are especially true of a Government headed by a gentleman; an astute Public Administrator, a Technocrat, a Master Planner, a shrewd and humble politician and an Achiever in the person of His Excellency, the Governor of the most populous State in Nigeria and the economic nerve centre of Northern Nigeria, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje(Khadimul Islam).
Ganduje has competently steered the affairs of Kano State for good eight years (2015-2023), and will hand over power to his successor, His Excellency Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf, on May 29, 2023, God willing.
During the eight years he held sway as the Governor of Kano State, Ganduje conceived, developed and implemented laudable policies and programmes that have hugely impacted the lives of the people of the state.
These include but not limited to infrastructure development such as construction of roads, inter-change bridges and flyovers, boosting commercial production of rice and wheat, empowering farmers as well as enhancement of livestock production.
Others are the payment of scholarships for both local and foreign students, sustenance and development of the two State-owned universities—Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil, and Yusuf Maitama Sule University, and the upgrading of the Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education to a university status.
His Excellency has also recorded similar giant strides in health, commerce as well as human development.
During those eventful years also, Ganduje scored yet another high by creating five Emirates in the state in order to extend development to the grassroots. The new Emirates are: Bichi, Karaye, Gaya and Rano meant to co-exist with the ancient Kano Emirate.
It is also to the credit of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje that Kano State has enjoyed peace, harmony and peaceful coexistence between the indigenes of the state and other ethnic nationalities resident in the state.
This feat has conferred on Kano the status of the most peaceful state in northern Nigeria and one of the most peaceful states in the country; and this has also made the state a Safe Haven, especially for people fleeing conflicts in other states in the North.
The biggest testimony of the laudable achievements of Governor Ganduje came from the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, during the recent Sallah festival.
Bayero, while paying homage to the Governor on the occasion of the traditional Hawan Nasarawa, commended Ganduje for the giant development strides he recorded in the eight years of his administration, which of course, included infrastructure development, health care, education, as well as economic empowerment of youths and women.
The Emir also lauded the Governor for his numerous policies and programmes that had enhanced security of lives and property, which he pointed out, had made Kano one of the most peaceful states in the federation.
In his response, Governor Ganduje who was represented by his Deputy, Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, said the administration appreciated the support given by the Kano Emirate in executing the laudable programmes and policies for the development of the state in the last eight years.
Let it also be recalled that in his characteristic humility and simplicity, Governor Ganduje asked the people of the state to forgive him for whatever wrong he might have done to them in the course of providing purposeful leadership to the state in the last eight years.
Ganduje first made the plea at the Al-Furqan mosque, Kano, towards the end of the 2023 Ramadan fast, and then re-echoed it in his Sallah message to the people of the state, which was issued by the State Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Malam Muhammad Garba.
In the message, Comrade Garba quoted the Governor as reiterating his “plea for forgiveness from those he might have offended in the course of governing the state.”
Governor Ganduje said he had forgiven those who wronged him and asked them to reciprocate the gesture by also forgiving him.
The Governor said he held no grudge against anybody over his eight-year stewardship, adding that having been in the act of governance for more than two decades in the state, he had every cause to thank Allah(SWT) and quit with no grievance against anyone.
As the saying goes: “To err is human, and to forgive is divine.”By forgiving all those who offended him during his eight-year tenure, and also asking those he might have wronged during the same period, Governor Ganduje has exhibited fear of Allah(SWT), kindheartedness, simplicity and humility.
No matter what the incurable naysayers, doomsayers,pessimists and pathological detractors would say, Ganduje has, by exhibiting these traits, achieved a monumental feat which no other Governor of the state had attained.
And in furtherance of such good attributes and as a show of love and passion he has for the state, Ganduje urged the incoming government to ensure the completion of all viable projects embarked upon by his administration which time would not permit their completion for the benefit of the people of the state.
“Government is all about continuity; no project executed with taxpayers’ money is worth abandoning,” he said.
Amid the countdown to the glorious end of his administration, Governor Ganduje is already holding his head high, feeling fulfilled and satisfied that he has delivered on his mandate freely given to him by the people of Kano State in 2015 and 2019.
Abdullahi Yusuf is a Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Information to the Governor of Kano State.
