We as People of Adamawa are extremely lucky to have His Excellency, Ahamadu Umaru Fintiri as our Governor. He is not like some Governors in the past who initiated projects and progrmmes for personal gains or as a way of scoring cheap political points. The governor's projects and progrmmes are people orientated and have direct benefit on the people of the state.
His Excellency, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, took over the mantle of leadership of the state at a time the state was highly indebted to tune of over one hundred and fifteen billion naira (N115b), bastardized Civil Service with massive last minute employment of un-needed workers by the past administration as a political tool to garner support in his bid to win a re-election to continue the mis-management of the resources of the state.
Prior to the advent of the administration of His Excellency Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, government properties were being auctioned and lands being allocated to family and friends. Reserved lands and infields in reputable public institutions were allocated to political associates. In deed, civil servants in our state could not be paid their salaries without the government accessing bank overdrafts.
Considering the ethno-religious nature of Adamawa State, appointments were done lopsidedly in favour one religion, as in the case of the dissolved Adamawa State Civil Service Commission, where all board members were Muslims.
Fellow Adamawans, why are we not asking questions on what happened to state's investments and savings dating back to the era of their Excellencies, Mr. Boni Haruna, Governor Murtala Nyako, etc. that were in the custody of Adamawa Investment and Property Company Limited? In the last administration, we saw an investment manager auction a house to himself without even paying, claiming it as part of his entitlement. A house worth over twenty million naira (N20m) was auctioned for just seven million naira (N7m) and then the N7m was never paid into the public coffers.
Before the assumption of duties by AUF administration, we had chains of communal attacks almost on weekly basis in most parts of state with little or no efforts by government to solving the problem or alleviating the pains and sufferings of the people.
The present administration of Governor Fintiri has witnessed painstaking application of public funds for the benefit of the citizens of the state. We have seen time tested responses in almost every sphere of life of the state. Below is a sector by sector intervention of the government. The achievements of this government are priority based:
1. SECURITY: The security of lives and property of the citizens is usually regarded as the primary duty of government. Therefore, any government that fails in this area is seen as a failure. The 'Fresh Air' Governor, has these to show in this sector:
a. Purchase of 60 brand new Hilux vans and 59 motor cycles for the newly formed Joint Task Force code named “OPERATION FARAUTA” to check menace of kidnaping, activities of Shila Boys, Communal clashes and other security challenges. It is note worthy that before this 'Fresh Air' came, kidnaping was the order of the day in the state.
b.Purchase and donation of 10 Toyota Land Cruiser for the military to help in the fight against Boko Haram and other security menaces.
c.Employment of over 1500 persons as Local vigilante in Michika and Madagali. These men are being paid N46,500 monthly to help in the fight against Boko Haram and other security challenges. Adamawa State is the only state in the North East that is paying vigilante N46,500 monthly.
d.After Boko Haram attacked in Garkida, the 'Fresh Air' Governor during his on-the-spot assessment and sympathy visit approved 100 Local vigilantes to help the military check against reoccurrence in future.
2. EDUCATION:
a.On assumption of office, the Governor declared free and compulsory education from Primary 1 to SS III. These include provision of uniforms, textbooks, exercise books, register and all basic needs for effective teaching and learning.
b.The government of Governor Fintri reintroduced the boarding school feeding system which was abandoned by the past administration. Now quality food is provided for boarding students while day schools have breakfast and lunch only.
c.The government of Governor Fintri also took over the burden of paying of WAEC and NECO fees for all qualified Adamawa State students in all government schools. This may seem nothing to some parents but to some others with a number of children who are due for SSCE it is everything. Lack of fund for WAEC and NECO fees have made a lot of students drop out and constitute nuisance to the society.
d. Currently in partnership with UBEC the 'Fresh Air' governor is building over 1000 academic blocks consisting 3 classrooms and one office across the state. And also the renovation of 5,000 blocks of 3 classrooms and one office in all the 226 wards in the state.
3. ROAD CONSTRUCTION:
a.With the zeal to complete roads started by previous administrations, Governor Fintri upon assumption of office, mobilized and paid the constructors handling all outstanding roads construction projects and directed them to complete the work for the benefit of the citizens. The roads include Mustapha Ismaila Road, Bomi Road, Lafiya Road, Kwara Road, Maiduguri Road, all behind Adamawa State House of Assembly Complex. Other roads completed are Buwangal –LCCN Road in Ganye, Muchalla Road in Mubi North and Girie local government area.
b.New roads: The 'Fresh air' Governor also inaugurated new roads project within the State capital. These include Benue, Kaduna, Lusaka, Abeokuta and Ndafora streets all within NEPA, Philip Maken and links off Army Barracks roads, Falu road that links Karewa extension, Lekki Talb street and Bachure Road.
c.Rural roads: Governor Fintri being aware of the fact the rural areas within the state have capacity not only to provide enough food for the state but the entire North East region, deliberately partnered with the RAMP to award contracts for the construction and Rehabilitation of 322 kilometers of roads across the various farming communities in the state.
These roads includes Kona Yaji-Mijiwana-Amdur, Hong-Mijili-Kuvagaya, Wurobokki-Uding-Pella, Longa Ewa-WuroAbbo – Wuro Yombo, Toungo-Kiri and Kola Junction- Bonshikiri (Dumna ward) Shelleng Bakta Road Junction – Bare, Yolde Pate Prison –Yadim, Gurin-Falingo, Parda-Muninga and Daba-MayoBelwa Roads. Others includes Pole Wire-Ndikong, Ngurore / Mayo Belwa Road junction- Gongoshi, Ribawo Junction-Muchalla and Mayo-Nguli-Manjekan-Salama roads.
4. ELECTRIFICATION
a.The Governor facilitated the reconnection of Michika/ Madagali to national grid after five years of total darkness as a result of the destruction of power facilities by Boko Haram.
b.Toungo Local Government Area is the only Local Government Area in Adamawa State, whose headquarters has been without light 25 years after it was created. The 'Fresh Air' Governor ensured it was connected to the national grid.
c.Dumna town in Guyuk Local Government Area has been without electricity, the government of Governor Fintri has also connected them to national grid.
d.The governor considering the growing traffic in major junctions in the state capital, awarded a ninety-five Million naira (N95m) contract for the installation of traffic light in those major junctions. Work is on going with that of the Capital School Junction already completed.
e. In an effort to improving the energy sector of the state, Adamawa State Government is constructing a 7.5MW power substation along Barracks Road.
f. Adamawa state government in collaboration with the Federal Government through the Nigeria's Independent Power Projects (NIPP) and the Niger-Delta Power Holding Company (ND-PHC), is presently constructing a 1×75Mv 33/11Kv injection Sub-station with associated lines and installations of 6No 500Kv Transformers. This is aimed at relieving residents around that densely populated area with a stable electricity supply.
5. HEALTH
a. The State Specialist Hospital, Yola is presently undergoing total rehabilitation, where State -of-the-art equipment’s will be installed for public use.
b. The Governor Fintiri's administration has successfully cleared the multi million naira medical equipment bought from Germany by former Governor Nyako Administration's and abandoned since then at the Lagos Port and successfully transported them to the state.
c. As part of the medical reforms in the state, the wife of the Governor, Hajiya Lami Fintiri recently commissioned state of the art mobile clinics in Madagali, Michika, Mubi North, Mubi South, Gombi and Maiha Local Government Areas.
6. SCHOLARSHIP
a.Foreign Scholarship, Education is said to be the back borne of every nation or state. The Governor Fintiri Administration has successful concluded the selection process of some young students who will be traveling overseas for further studies in some professional areas.
b.All Adamawa State students in various tertiary institutions within and outside the state have received scholarship funds from the Governor Fintiri Government.
7. WATER
Governor Fintiri has completed the procurement and installation of modern water pumping machines for the water board.
8. CIVIL SERVICE REFORM
a. in this tenure of Governor Fintiri, civil servants as a matter of policy get their salary paid on the 24th /25th of every month. This gives them the opportunity to plan well on their spending. He, who fails to plan, plans to fail.
b. The Governor has set up a technical committee to proffer solution to some challenges facing the civil service like the existence of Deputy Permanent Secretaries operational only in Adamawa State.
b. The governor has instituted Visitation Panels to visit the various tertiary institutions in the state to ascertain the problems and proffer solutions to them, as a way improving the standards of tertiary education in the state.
9. LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTONOMY / FUNDING
Under the watch of His Excellency Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, Local government funds are not be tempered with. The chairmen now receive their full allocations for the purpose of executing developmental and people orientated projects in their various local government areas.
10. AGRICULTURE
The Fintiri administration recognizes the fact that a pragmatic Agricultural Policy can give the nation an economic boast. In recognition of this truism and the fact the Adamawa is essentially an agricultural state, the Finitiri administration, soon after coming into office, in partnership with the North East Commodity Association (NECA), distributed 600 tractors to small and large scale farmers in the state. The State Government has supplied many agriculture incentives in order to give farmers enough support and the opportunity to massively produce the needed food for both for local consumption and export.
11. GRATUITY / PENSION
The Governor has raised the monthly allocation for payment of pensions and gratuity of retired workers from fifty million naira (N50m) to one hundred million naira (N100m).
12. In line with the policy of transparency of the Governor Fintiri Administration, the governor has introduced the state Treasury Single Account as a way of checking financial linkages in public funds.
Conclusion: From all indications, the present government of Governor Fintiri seems to know the difference between politics and governance. The prudence the government has shown in the use of public funds still stands the administration out among its peers and the dexterity in the execution of people oriented project places this government miles ahead of all administrations in the state before it especially considering the perculiar circumstance of this government.
It is unfortunate that it is this same government that is in a position to fight one of the worst pandemics in the history of mankind. The resources at this time are scarce, but as a merticulous administration, we are confident that the government will see us through this tempting and excruciating experience.
Written by: David Simon Dzalla.
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