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Saminu Turaki and Shehu Kwatalo

A letter to the editor's column in one of the national dailies recently described Jigawa State as having 93 per cent illiterate population, 95 per cent of whom live below poverty line. He writes that the state has electricity supply of 25 per cent per annum, that only 5 per cent of the population owns television sets and 90 per cent are subsistence farmers. In this kind of environment, he wondered what use the internet and e-mails would be to the people. The writer was trying to rationalise why the state governor would want to sink N700 million to computerise and connect the state to the internet.

The Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Saminu Turaki, is one politician who has taken to heart the advice: think locally, act globally. He is also unfortunate to have been caught in the web of a tradition he knew little about. The story had it that when Jigawa State was created in 1991 and the first military administrator came to town, he set a precedence which has since dogged the steps of other chief executives of the state. At dusk, the military administrator sneaked out of town to sleep in Kano. Dutse, the state's capital was nondescript and backward, lacking basic amenities even for a soldier. It was therefore unthinkable for His Excellency to sleep in the village. But since it would be bad form to inform the people whose affairs he would be overseeing that their abode is below standard he had to sneak out of the state capital at night. Till date, this habit has stuck. Chief executives governing the state rarely pass the night in rustic Dutse. That is why Turaki's fault is not failing to sleep in Dutse but rather that he does not even spend the working hours there. He prefers to rule the state from Singapore, Australia, United Kingdom and other countries across the globe. And these countries also happen to be the model he wants to pattern his rural state after whenever he finds the time to visit Jigawa state where he is supposed to be the governor.

For instance, with his numerous trips abroad, Governor Saminu Turaki has yet to turn Jigawa State into the industrial giant he would want people to believe he's flying for.

President Obasanjo's numerous trips to Europe, America and Asia has also brought little or no appreciable economic dividends to the country. Instead, the Naira is daily deprecating and our trade deficit margin is ever increasing in favour of the industrialized world.

Perhaps, incensed by the frequent foreign travel of all classes of elected officials a group of Nigerians resident abroad months ago threatened to embark on a demonstration that would embarrass the country.

Shortly after they issued the threat, Governor Saminu Turaki, in company of a 27-man entourage jetted out leaving behind him series of mass protests by the people who see the development as a clever move by the flamboyant governor to shy away from his official responsibilities.

The youths who were chanting war songs at the rally held at the township stadium chided asking him to give priority to the wishes and aspirations of the electorate by staying in office to work for them instead of advancing his personal adventure through foreign trips.

Muktar Isa Hadejia, a youth leader was reported to have expressed unhappiness at the continued stagnation of Jigawa State, despite the high sounding promises made by the governors during the gubernatorial campaigns.

"It is unfortunate that Governor Saminu Turaki could abandon his people. He appears to be more interested in patronizing five-star hotels in big cities of the world instead of his office where he could conveniently work for the progress of Jigawa State".

The youths were particularly irked by Governor Turaki's 27-man trip besides other top government functionaries, three of whom were local government vice chairmen.

Though the trip was said to be an official the trip to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah, the lesser Hajj, it was later revealed that the governor and his entourage on leaving Nigeria first landed in London, then to Washington DC, Paris, and finally to Mecca in Saudi Arabia where they performed the lesser Hajj.

Muktar Hadejia, who on behalf of the Jigawa State youth appealed to the members of the State House of Assembly to investigate Governor Saminu Turaki, dismissed these foreign trips as a way of siphoning public funds, which could otherwise be used in improving the living standards of the people.

While Nigerians are preparing for the next dispensation the people of Jigawa State are yet to reap the dividend of democracy. The standard of education, a major pillar of development for examples is said be in the doldrums. So also health-care delivery, pipe born water and motorable roads.

The state may be among the least developed parts of this country, but Turaki has approached the task of governance with unbridled optimism. Not for him the mundane task of sinking bore-holes, providing basic health facilities, building rural roads or improving power generation. Turaki thinks of the information and computer technology (ICT) world, of building a high-tech university, a refinery or an independent power plant. Though some of these ideas have not yet materialised, they have left a gaping space in the rustic state, creating an impression of inactivity.

Nevertheless, he has made an outstanding achievement for being the first for logging more time in the air than in his office. Turaki's philosophy appears anchored on an assumption that governance is about globe trotting.

Once during an interaction with journalists he laboured to explain the benefits his recent trips abroad had yielded. For instance, the state would soon be the beneficiary of a broad-band transmitter which would offer television and FM radio broadcasting as well as internet services. He has also acquired a taste for IT which he hopes to transmit to the state.

However, despite Turaki's zeal to attract foreign investors to the state, his political opponents criticize him at every turn over his trips abroad which they call a waste of public funds.

His critics could even cite a thousand and one reasons why Turaki should not be taken as a responsible leader, some see him as a young man still battling to bridle his cravings for pleasurable lifestyle. Some complain of his inexperience which they say has stopped the sprouting development of the young state. They argue regretfully that Sule Lamido, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who lost to Turaki in the gubernatorial polls, would have been better suited to the politics and climate of Jigawa.

But Turaki says his critics are only looking for a way to rubbish him. He said that his administration has taken particular interest in the vast agricultural potentials and agro-allied industries in the state.

He laments neglect of agriculture, especially commercial agriculture, such as cotton, cowpea, rice, millet, sugar cane which past administration in the state had abandoned.

According to the state governor, Jigawa state has entered into technical partnership with some countries like Brazil, Mauritius, South-Africa, and the United States of America (USA) in its programme of fully harassing the vast sugar cane plantation that abound in the state. The state has so far established 1,568 hectares of industrial sugarcane, according to secretary of the state sugar cane production committee, Malam Umar Majiya.

The main object for the creation of the sugarcane plantation is with a view to establishing a big sugar factory that will produce white sugar.

The governor plans to ensure that the proposed factory would produce white sugar that would be commercially viable. Turaki said this programme alone is capable of earning the state over N400 billion annually.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive officer of Jigawa State Agricultural Development Authority, Alhaji Kabiru Ali in an interview however could not give the exact position of how much the state government has so far injected into this programme but disclosed that about N400 million has been spent.

Ali summed up government's performance in the programme thus: "Like you know, 95 percent of sugar requirement in Nigeria is imported. We produce only 5 percent locally. So, it is a very lucrative area to invest in and I believe it is an area whereby rural communities at the grassroots will be economically empowered Insha Allah within the tenure of Governor Saminu Turaki, the people would be empowered and be wealthy and their living standard still change because that is the ultimate goal of this administration.".

Jigawa State was created about eleven years ago by the Gen. Ibrahim Babangida administration as an agrarian economy with over 80 percent of the populace engaged in subsistence farming and animal husbandry.

Turaki said that his administration has taken particular interest in the vast agricultural potentials and agro-allied industries to open up the state.

Turaki argued in a recent interview that he is greatly misunderstood. He points at the elites whom he accused of working against a change.

"I know why Jigawa elites are fighting my government but unfortunately, they are in the minority. Go round and ask for yourself what the people are saying. The populace is being empowered. That is why my critics are crying. They don't want the status quo to change. But I am saying no, don't remain beggars when we can effectively make use of your hands to better your lot. This has angered these few individuals and I bet you, in a few years to come, Jigawa State will be a model for other states to copy", he boasted.

Turaki listed some projects which his administration is presently working on. This he said include an export free zone which is a market planned to cover 25sq km.

A glass factory is also coming on stream, disclosing that an initial capital of $26 million is required. Turaki said foreign investors are contributing 60 percent of the equity while the balance will be sold to the public.

But ask Turaki what incentives his government is putting in place to attract foreign investors and he quickly replies: "The best incentive you can give somebody is put the right infrastructure for him to take out his profit and reduce risk. We have put in a lot of money in making research, in getting the best high yielding crops, the best management methods, processing methods and so on. All these, "is to make the state financially independent by the expiration of my tenure." At the moment, he said Jigawa State's economy is in the region of N10 billion but hoped that it will soon hit N100 billion. The thrust of all these, he explains "is to lay foundation to privatise the economy so that everybody can be gainfully employed".

The governor said during one of his trips, he signed a Memorandum of Understanding worth $150 million to private entrepreneurs who are ready to invest in the state. "These are private industrialists, not loans, just people coming on their own to invest".

To boost its mass housing programme, the Jigawa State Government recently purchased 774 uncompleted houses under construction from the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) at the cost of N100m. Already plans are on by the State Government to obtain a N265 million loan from the Federal Mortgage Bank for the completion of the houses.

Turaki's administration has also embarked on the construction of 30 units of 2 bedroom bungalows in Dutse while the sum of N210 million has been approved for the construction of houses in Hadejia, Dutse, Gumel, Kazaure and Ringim in a bid to reduce accommodation difficulties in the five emirates.

The Globe-trotting Governors

Governance is meant to be a serious business, especially for a nascent democracy where politicians must prove they are better manager than the military dictators they just replaced. This task, not just of governance, but of proving trustworthiness demands utmost concentration and attention. But many governors in Nigeria have turned into a jamboree as they go on unnecessary trips one after the other.

They however seem to be taking a cue from the President. With just less than two years on the saddle, president Olusegun Obasanjo has travelled to almost all the major countries of the world, sometimes two or three times. The travelling president, as he was to be tagged, has ensured that no single international event or gathering missed his attendance. Same goes for most of the governors.

On their governors' rank, Governor Ibrahim Saminu Turaki, Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi and Abubakar Audu of Jigawa, Kaduna and Kogi States respectively have been noted as those with highest records of foreign trips, while those of Yobe and Akwa Ibom are said to be the least travelled since they assumed office. Even at that they are regular callers at the seat of power in Abuja.

The irony of these trips is that while they are claimed to be beneficial to the state since they are business trips aimed at inviting investors to the states, little impact in that direction has not been noted by the citizenry.

The same goes for other states of the federation. Recently while legislator from Ondo state not wanting to be left in the travelogue, were hatching their own plans, Local government wives in the neighbouring Ekiti also undertook a tour, in order to improve their performance at home, they claimed.

This unbridled lust for traveling by the governors has been mentioned as leading to the collapse of the Naira.

It's a grand insult to the toiling people of Nigeria. Democracy is increasingly becoming meaningless because it has not brought development to the doorsteps of the people. Unlike in some other states democracy have made any commendable giant strides forward in Jigawa.

This unchecked lust for these foreign trip in Jigawa came to a head last week with the resignation of Kwatalo.

Functions of a Governor in a Democracy

It would have been quite impossible and also irrelevant to talk about the functions of a governor in Nigeria two years back. This is because Nigeria was under dictatorship. The military held sway in a manner that no regard for the constitution. The mode of operation was the issuance of decrees which must be carried out with religious zeal.

But the situation is quite different today. With the inception of a democratic government in May 1999, every state in the country can boast of a democratically elected governor. The performance of these governors, as it were, can be questioned by the people in accordance to the tenets of the constitution.

Like the president of the country, the office of an executive governor is a very important one and carries a lot of responsibilities. A democratically elected governor is seen as the number one citizen of a state and the chief security officer.

The executive powers of a state are vested in the governor. He exercises his powers directly or through the Deputy Governor. Government is about service, thus a governor who has sworn to serve the people is expected to initiate, sustain and prosecute social, economic and industrial programmes.

Efforts towards meeting the collective aspiration of the people and uplifting of the people both in the urban and rural areas should be the priority of an executive governor in a democracy. In a country like Nigeria where more than half of the population live below poverty line, the governor is expected to comprehensively address the issue of poverty in his area of jurisdiction by embarking on projects aimed at creation of opportunities and boosting agricultural produce.

For states in the North where the main source of livelihood is farming, the peasant farmers look up to the government for improved method of farming and subsidization of farming materials such as fertilizer. The provision of social amenities such as good roads, portable drinking water, electricity, good schools are also expected to be on the priority list of a governor.

It is unfortunate however that most state governors in Nigeria today have failed in their responsibilities. Not with the frequent traveling in search of "investors" who are nowhere to be found.

Dramatic as the case of Jigawa State may be, political observers believe it is not the only State in Nigeria which has been without a Government since the advent of democracy in 1999.

There have been times when President Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice President Atiku Abubakar reportedly travelled out of the country, even when the Senate President was himself out of the country for some engagement.