GOVERNOR FINTIRI’S 100 DAYS IN OFFICE
At this moment of economic challenges and hardship due to subsidy removal and a fluctuating forex exchange rate, to assess every governor in northeast Nigeria for the 100 days in office, it must be based on three categories: Firstly, support the vulnerable—the poorest of the poor. Secondly, the effectiveness of the policies and programmes to support the local economy; and thirdly, feasible and meaningful programmes and projects that are mainly for the future of the state.
Furthermore, politics should be kept aside, while facts and balanced insights should be the foundation of the assessment. Though, sometimes, politics always finds its way into a discourse!
The method the Fintiri-led government used in the distribution of the food items of the subsidy palliatives was not only open but well coordinated and justly distributed; the ‘reach the last unit’ method was employed, so it seems, and it was successful. The truth is, Adamawa State is among the few states in Nigeria that have put in place short, medium, and long-term strategies in the implementation of the fuel subsidy palliatives. The 60,000 bags of rice, maize, fertilizer, and the non-food items, including the 10 luxurious buses, will touch every family and the local economy.
The youth empowerment programme of the Fintiri government is what experts call ‘use our today for their tomorrow’. A classical example is the Fintiri cabinet, which is fairly young and balanced. This is recommendable. The payment of WAEC and NECO fees is another avenue for helping young people and their parents. Furthermore, the resuscitation of the Skills Acquisition Centres and the development of agribusiness are another avenue for young people to become self-reliant and engage in productive jobs while being innovative and entrepreneurial minded. Another example is the unveiling of the Adamawa Agribusiness Support (ADAS) Programme with a seed capital of over N5 billion—a credit guarantee scheme to serve as a vehicle to attract financial institutions to formally lend funds to the players in the agro-allied sector, who can get between five and 20 million Naira in loans. Furthermore, the Adamawa State government has spent over N2.4 billion to upgrade grain and cattle markets in 12 locations across the state. Agribusiness has massive multiplier effect.
The N10,000 additional salaries to state and local government workers and the implementation of the full minimum wage, including the payment of pensions, and gratuities will have a meaningful impact on the purchasing power of the workers and their families.
The proposed Mubi Roundabout Project, the Super Highway from FGC Yola to Yola Town, Malkohi Housing Estate, the public health laboratory projects, etc. , are some of Fintiri’s babies in his second term in office. And, at this moment in Nigeria, very few governors will point to ongoing or completed projects in their 100 days in office as they are facing economic and legal challenges. Politics aside, Governor Fintiri is good at taking bold and courageously sound decisions. Here, we come to the issues of a few supporters of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who are ‘crossing the line ‘in their poor and third-rate thinking that they are promoting Atiku while castigating Fintiri for congratulating Minister Wike. One old woman, Zainab Mairago from Kaduna, went beyond decency in a video shared in social media. The truth is, this is a big challenge for Atiku to openly call them to order, as they are just unknowingly painting Atiku black while Fintiri is getting more sympathy and local support. The time is right for Atiku to speak. Politics and democracy have changed completely!
Adamawa is one of the few states in Nigeria that were able to manage their internal security very well. How did Fintiri does it? – simple: good leadership and effective collaboration with all security agencies and community leaders.
Zayyad Muhammad, Abuja
