Kano’s transformation agenda and Ganduje’s infrastructural response

“The fundamental direction of this administration is predicated on continuation, consolidation and fine-tuning of projects inherited from previous administrations irrespective of the time they were started as well as the initiation and execution of additional people oriented policies and programmes.”

The above, forms the administrative thrust of Governor Abdullahi Ganduji’s administration in Kano State. To say he has been faithful to the letters of these words is stating the obvious as most roads under construction, hospitals, schools being rehabilitated are mostly carry-over from previous administration.

This singular act of the governor speaks volume of the man Ganduje, especially, in the political firmament of the nation where incumbents see and treat projects of previous administrations as abandoned ones that must remain so while embarking on new ones that on the long run will turn out to become white elephant projects that remain uncompleted and the vicious circle continues until another administration takes over.

This in turn, leaves the land dotted with abandoned projects that amount to wastage of resources and creating ugly scenarios in the landscape.

The governor in a recent interview with Political Editors and Bureau Heads in Kano reaffirmed this when he stated; “Our government is that of continuity because as you know, I was part of that government, consolidating those not completed and making sure they are completed, in doing this we go beyond projects that dates back to ten (10) years. While battling with the past, we initiate new projects.”

Informed source has it that the governor inherited over 2000 projects across the length and breadth of the state and that majority of these projects were even awarded after he had won the election confirming him as the next governor of the state come May 2015.

In the words of the state commissioner of works, Shehu Lambu; “That notwithstanding however and despite bankrupt treasuries inherited from the immediate past administration, over 70 percent of abandoned major infrastructures in the state have been completed, lamentable to note that only 15 percent of these projects were carried out at the time the present administration came on board.”

Many ardent followers of the administrative style of Governor Ganduje is of the opinion that he is only keying into President Muhammadu Buhari’s style of completing projects inherited from past administrations. By the way, the governor remains the number one fan of the President who he eulogises at every given opportunity.

A former Kano State Commissioner of Land and Physical Planning, Farouk Farouk has this to say on the Ganduje administration and inherited projects; “The administration inherited a number of abandoned infrastructural facilities and a bankrupt treasury.

When we took over the wheel of governance in the state, there were efforts to develop infrastructures, lots of projects were started, but the biggest challenge we faced was that, not enough projects were completed; many were at the stage of implementation; lots were on-going; lots were not commissioned; lots were abandoned, not only by the immediate past government, but also by the three administrations that came before it”

It is in line with this that the Ganduje administration decided to resume work on many road reconstruction too many to be accommodated in this write-up, however mention must be made of a few here; such as the 1.7 km long Murtala Muhammad Way Fly-over project, Tiga-Rurum-Rano-Kibiya road project.

The CBN/Kondili/Zaria road which has been dualised by the present administration with necessary demolition of existing structures and compensation paid to affected people, it is awaiting commissioning by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The 2.1 km road which cost N650m was water-logged thereby making it inaccessible to commuters and other road users before government’s intervention. The Abdullahi Bayero Road was completely reconstructed.

Efforts by previous administrations to construct the road met with difficulties that made them to abandon it, the 1.2 km road which has become a beauty to behold was inaccessible some 6-7 months back because it was always water-logged even during the dry season.

Another road which the Ganduje hopes to complete before May 29 is the Bilili/Ado Madaka, which is expected to set the state back by about N375m. Quality of materials used is uppermost in the mind of the Kano State government, this it says is to avoid the mistake of the past.

Governor Ganduje’s infrastructural development has obviously turned the ancient city of Kano into a sparkling city that has become a tourist delight to many people that troop in daily from outside the state to behold a marvel that was unheard of before the advent of his administration.

The Kafaruwa/Katsina road project according to the governor was conceived to free both ways of the underground bye-pass; “We want Kano to be a mega city. This is a link road to Niger and Katsina states, we started the project in September 2016 and hopefully in less than a year from now, the job will be 100 percent complete.

The project is borne out of the need to free our roads, so as to make transportation easy for our people.”

The administration has so far sunk in N1.6bn for drainages in the city, while the sum of N465m has gone into illuminating the city with street lights.

The notion that Sabongeri area in the ancient city where majority of non indigenes resides is a neglected zone has been disproved by the Ganduje administration which has deemed it necessary to renovate and dualise the major road there.

The road, formally known as Court Road was re-christianed Rochas Okorocha road and had in attendance during the commissioning, dignitaries such as; Governors Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Abubakar Bagudu (Kebbi), Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto) and Yahaya Bello of Kogi State.

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Governor Ganduje’s infrastructural development has obviously turned the ancient city of Kano into a sparkling city that has become a tourist delight to many people that troop in daily from outside the state to behold a marvel that was unheard of before the advent of his administration.