Days ago Nigerians, APC supporters and Zamfaralites witnessed with elation, the sight of all five governors the state had produced from 1999 till date, gathered in one room. The Quintet united by the shared resolve to confront the myriad of problems confronting our beloved Zamfara state, specifically the twin scourges of insecurity and poverty. However the real task goes beyond handshakes and photo ops.

For this moment of political Eldorado to yield results, Yarima, MAS, Yari, Matawalle, Dauda and all their benefactors must sincerely embrace this renewed unity, place the peace and progress of Zamfara above personal ambitions, and recognize that history will judge them not by rivalry but by what they achieve together for their people.

Importantly, they should resist any attempt to impose children, spouses, in-laws or political loyalists in ways that reduce public office to family inheritance, or patronage and instead ensure that leadership choices reflect merit, credibility and a genuine commitment to service rather than the sharing of spoils.

A practical demonstration of this renewed commitment and a way to show they mean the state first would be to suspend mass hajj sponsorships, reduce bloated appointments such as SAs, SSAs, and DGs and redirect those funds into large scale scholarships for students to study strategic courses abroad under return service bonds, while launching a ten year literacy campaign to bring every child into school, treating water scarcity as a security emergency, enforcing modern urban planning with balanced infrastructure across the state and urgently reforming the civil service to drive lasting development.

All these objectives are well within reach, especially from a financial standpoint when weighed against the evident means, influence and, lifestyles associated with the 5 political elites and Zamfara’s financial strength. What has allegedly too often been absent is not capacity but the will to make sacrifice, set priorities and act decisively. Yet going by the uncommon unity publicly displayed by the five leaders and the many invocations of faith, godliness and moral responsibility that accompanied it, there is renewed reason to believe that this once elusive will can be summoned, sustained and translated into meaningful progress for Zamfara.

I pray and hope these new found fivesome is not merely to appease outsiders by displaying a united front in order to collectively hide the real issues.

By Luqman B. Majidadi, Gusau Zamfara State abusalmapop@gmail.com, 07037890013