A calculated and thorough administrator, the Governor and his cabinet had taken their time to critically examine the report of the Contract Review Committee instituted early in the life of the administration.After a scrupulous review of the state of ongoing and abandoned projects, the committee had recommended N400 million for the completion of abandoned projects, after verification. These projects were left abandoned all over the state by the previous administration.

Mallam Shekarau had had to grapple with several problems arising from the untidy manner the past administration pulled out. For example, huge salary and pension arrears had to be paid and debts to local contractors and suppliers reconciled against contested figures. In the attempt to grapple with these problems, it seemed as if the’ Governor was reacting slowly to the task of rehabilitating social and economic infrastructures and executing capital projects, which have the strongest impact on people’s lives.
Was the Governor slow? Most successful administrators face similar criticism early in their tenures when they don’t seem to splash out and grab populist headlines. Headline hunters crave motion even if it does’t lead to tangible movement. But should a man set in his vision and sense of mission play to the gallery because he wants to grab the headlines and be hailed as an ‘action man’?
Kano people know whom they elected, a seasoned mathematician, teacher and scholar who approaches the business of governance painstakingly and methodically.

The difference between lbrahim Shekarau and those before him is that he does not want to be associated with abandoned projects. There can be no stoppage of works in any capital project initiated by his Government, he promised. For his Government to undertake any capital project, he insisted on a thorough cost analysis, budgetary allocation and competent technocratic resource on the ground to complete and commission. In this light therefore, the ‘delay’ might well be a blessing in disguise especially against the backdrop of the litany of abandoned projects in the state.

A project abandoned is development halted. Abandoned projects attract costlier reviews, which give room for ‘mark ups’ and sundry corrupt practices, which have no place in the Shekarau administration.
It was therefore  with approval by the State Executive Council and the Kano State House of Assembly that Mallam Shekarau decided to undertake new socio-economic sector rehabilitations beginning from this December.

Given their very urgent nature and the direct impact they have on the lives of the people, emphasis for now is on Water Resources, Health, Roads and Education in line with the eight-point programme of action enunciated by the Governor at his inauguration.

The sum of N500 million has been earmarked for Water Resources. The problem of providing portable water Kano’s over seven million population is adequately documented. The water problem has dogged and defeated every Governor since Audu Bako’s modest efforts in the 70’s. Fewer than 30% of Kano’s population have access to drinking water in a modern and sustainable manner. The lucky few are condemned to drink from contaminated asbestos pipes that contribute to spreading water borne common killer diseases like Cholera, Typhoid Fever and Dysentery.

Despite millions of naira sunk into water rehabilitation projects by previous administrations, including World Bank loans, Kano taps remain dry. The Shekarau administration has pledged to tackle the water problem head on. A sum of N500 million has been budgeted and approved for capital projects in the water sub-sector.
Some of the projects include the resuscitation of hydro-meteorological services for data collection, flood control, procurement of alum, irrigation infrastructure development; the rehabilitation of Challawa
Water Complex, Tamburawa and the Regional Water Treatment Plants in Magaga, Guzu-Guzu, Kusalla, Chiromawa, Joda and Kafin-Chiri.

Others are the completion of on-going water supply projects capable of increasing supply volume and those that have already reached high level of execution.
To ensure that the grassroots benefited from the water scheme, the administration has included the construction of Hand-pumps, SolarSystems and Motorized Water Supply Schemes in 27 Local Government Areas in the state, namely Municipal, Tofa, Tarauni, Nassarawa, Kumbotso, Rano, Warawo, Karaye, Kiru, Wudil, Albasu and Gwarzo. Others are Bunkure, Kabo, Ajingi, Gwale, Kibiya, Minjibir, Shanono,
Bagwai, Kunchi, Tsanyawa, Madobi, Danbatta, Garko, Ungogo and Dala.
Under education, ten Station Wagon vehicles are to be supplied to the State Ministry of Education for effective inspection of all schools while science teaching materials and equipment for secondary school, science and technical colleges have been ordered. A general rehabilitation of laboratories is being undertaken.

Also 161 classrooms in various secondary schools in the state are being rehabilitated, while 354 3-seater Students Furniture will be purchased and distributed to schools. In the Health sector, projects currently being undertaken are the expansion of the maternity unit at the Murtala Mohammed Specialists Hospital through the construction of an 80-bed Maternity Unit, construction of a motorized borehole with a surface as well as an Overhead tank at the same hospital alongside water reticulation and repair of existing tanks.
A number of General Hospitals are also earmarked for general repairs and rehabilitation to ensure effective service delivery and access to healthcare for the grassroots. The hospitals are located in Bichi, Danbatta, Dawakin Kudu, Gezawa and Gaya. Others are those of Minjibir, Sumaila, Wudil and the Waziri Shehu Gidado General Hospital.

In the same vein, hospital equipment and consumables are being distributed to the operating I delivery theatre, laboratory, and other sections of the hospital.
Under the power sector, electricity is being extended through purchase of new transformer in 15 Local Government Areas, which include Dawakin-Kudu, Dawakin Tofa, Dab, Fagge, Gaya and Gezawa. The rest are Kiru, Kumbotso, Nassarawa, Municipal, Rano Sumaiba, Takai, Tarauni and Tofa.
Roads in Sabon-Gari, long abandoned by previous administrations will be tackled as competent contractors have been engaged for the massive rehabilitation works. It is clear then that the state is undergoing a new lease of life and the impact of these projects on the State’s socio-economic fortunes would be salutary and sustaining. That is indeed the vision of Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau.

Mallam Sule Ya’u Sule, is the Director of Press and Public Relations to the Executive Governor, Kano