Hon. Sulaiman Tukur’s Transformation Agenda is a four-year strategic framework built on “Restoring Purposeful Leadership and Sustainable Growth.” It aims to shift Zamfara from a state of stagnation to a competitive hub of agriculture, trade, and disciplined governance, anchored on sincerity of purpose and technical competence.
The agenda balances human capital development with infrastructure as the twin engines of progress. It recognizes that no government can achieve lasting development without investing in people alongside roads, schools, hospitals, and markets.
Below is the full text of the transformation agenda;
"Base on my Transformation Agenda," the following is a strategic framework designed to guide my four-year administration. This plan focuses on balancing human capital development with infrastructural growth to move the state forward.
Strategic Theme
Restoring Purposeful Leadership and Sustainable Growth"
The fundamental goal is to transition Zamfara from a state plagued by insecurity and economic stagnation to a competitive hub of agriculture, trade, and disciplined governance through sincerity of purpose and technical competency.
Strategic Objectives
Security and Social Stability
Objective:
- To achieve lasting peace by adopting a multi-dimensional approach that combines military action with community engagement and intelligence gathering and traditional security approaches.
Education and Human Capital
Objective:
- To resuscitate the education foundation
- To address the funding gap and improve the quality of instruction while making education accessible to all children, including nomads.
Agriculture and Economic Revitalization
Objective:
- To leverage Zamfara’s soil and mineral wealth to eradicate poverty and restore the state's status as a premier agricultural hub.
- Transform agriculture and solid mineral sectors to eliminate poverty and unemployment.
Job Creation and Infrastructure
Objective:
- To eliminate the "culture of giveaways" by providing sustainable skills and building the infrastructure necessary for commerce.
Health and Environment
Objective:
- To reduce maternal mortality and improve healthcare accessibility through personnel retention and facility upgrades and strengthen healthcare delivery for women and children.
- Improve connectivity and basic amenities while protecting the environment from illegal activities.
Governance and Civil Service Reform
Objective:
- To create a motivated workforce and ensure the administration of justice is swift and equitable.
- Entrench quality and purposeful leadership to replace technical and managerial incompetence.
ZAMFARA TRANSFORMATION AGENDA
Statistical indices show that the state is among the backwards states in the federation in terms of education, economic and infrastructural development. Despite the motto of the state is home of farming and Sharia'' as rephrased from "Farming is our pride", the state is nowhere to be found in agricultural strides in the country. No doubt insecurity stands between the state and its prosperity. However, the lack of good leadership and sincerity of purpose remains the major problem facing the state.
Despite having a zestful and purposeful population, blessed with many mineral resources in commercial quantities, the state has been plagued by many problems, including insecurity, unemployment, poverty, poor health service delivery, poor education, stagnation in trade and commerce, neglect of farming, among others.
Among the reasons why the state has not moved forward and developed to compete with other states in the federation are: -
- Absence of quality and purposeful leadership, which will entrench Good Governance.
- The leadership of the state has been left in the hands of people who do not have the interest of the development of the state at heart, but rather their selfish interests.
- The leadership of the state was in the hands of people who either lacked technical know-how, managerial and leadership competency to steer the affairs of the state effectively and efficiently.
- The control of the state was left in the hands of those whose aim is to stay afloat in politics and steer the affairs of the state by any means at the expense of the development of the state.
There is no doubt that the seed of the current problems we are battling with in the state was planted by preceding governments for failing to put the state on the path of a good plan for sustainable growth and development. Had policies been put in better strategic perspectives beyond politics and winning elections, they would have gone a long way in transforming the state to compete with other states in the areas of Education, Agriculture, Health, Commerce, Trade, Physical Infrastructure and Human Capital Development.
No government will divorce from human capital development and achieve sustainable growth and development. To achieve sustainable development, the government must balance both human capital and infrastructural development.
An in-depth SWOT analysis conducted showed that our STRENGTHS are in having energetic youth who are willing to acquire skills, venture in to agriculture and trade, and our WEAKNESSES are a lack of expertise in modern farming and business management and other problems associated with agriculture and the business environment in Nigeria; while our THREATS are growing insecurity and having political leaders and youth who are bent to continue their usual business to the detriment of the larger society; and the OPPORTUNITIES we have, are having the right type of soil that can cultivate almost all types of crops, many deposit of solid minerals in commercial quantity, Weekly markets (i.e., Mafara, Shinkafi, Kasuwar Daji, Magami, Wanke, etc) which are patronize nationwide and have progressive indigenous minds (i.e., residents and non-residents) who are willing to contribute to the progress and development of the State.
We will use our strengths to overcome our weaknesses by engaging our zealous youth in agriculture and productive business ventures, reorienting and enlightening them on the use of modern agricultural techniques and business management in the digital age and globalisation. On the other hand, use the opportunities to overcome our threats through proper utilisation of our God-given endowment, human and natural resources, develop our markets and promote our talents. Engage the services of our indigenous progressive individuals to transform the state, socially and economically.
A careful study and analysis of our strengths and opportunities will help in applying the right strategy through deliberate policies and programmes.
Zamfara state is one of the states with the highest poverty, illiteracy and unemployment levels in the country. To immediately checkmate unemployment and reduce poverty, our administration will establish integrated data for all unemployed youths in the state under the Ministry of Labour and Skill Acquisition (To be established).
The responsibilities of the Ministry of Labour and skill acquisition, among other things, are:
- Maintaining a data bank and keeping records of all the unemployed.
- Liaising with the State Civil Commission, Federal Civil Service Commission and Federal Character Commission on the area of employment.
- Ensuring that the indigenes of the state were selected to fill the quota given to the state.
- Ensuring that only the indigenes of the state are allowed to represent the state in the Military, the State Security, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Roads Safety Corps and other establishments of the federal government.
- Ensuring that the indigenes of the state benefit from any vacancy declared by any federal government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
- Ensuring balanced recruitment, in which no local government will be sub-changed in the area of employment.
- Our administration will immediately constitute State Economic Management Committee as an advisory body to the Executive Governor on the Management of the state's economy, the committee should comprise the Commissioner of Budget and Economic Planning and coordinating commissioner of the economy, the Commissioner of Finance, Commissioner of Commerce and Industries, Commissioner of Agriculture, Chairman Internal Revenue Service, Special Adviser or chairman Strategy development, implementation and monitoring committee. The committee should, among other things, ensure full implementation of the state development plan for growth and development.
The major problems facing our state are poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and insecurity. Until and unless we address the problems of poverty and unemployment, illiteracy and insecurity will continue to hurt us all.
- We will pay attention to alleviating poverty, ameliorating the standard of living of people through empowerment, resuscitating the skill acquisition programmes, partnering with private individuals' trainers by sending apprentices to them to train them in various skills.
- A cordial relationship will be established and maintained with our National Assembly Members (i.e., Senators and members of the Federal House of Representatives) in the areas of job creation, securing Federal Government appointments and the development of the state in general.
- We will ensure that only the indigenes of the state are allowed to represent the state as provided by federal character laws.
- We will make sure that only genuine indigenes of the state are employed by giving them clearance to present during screening of any military and para-military recruitment exercise and will follow up when the list is out to ensure that those who are successful are genuine indigenes of the state, we will write a letter of objection to the employment issuing authority to nullify the appointment of any person found not true indigene of the Zamfara but used our indigene letter to secure job.
- We will restructure the process of indigene certificate collection to block non-indigene from getting our indigene certificate.
- We will, Insha Allahu, ensure that the indigene of the state forms part of the workforce of any private organisation operating in the state. We will not allow a business operating in our environment to import workforce outside our community; the business has to give us a minimum of sixty per cent of job opportunities.
- We will not allow them to subvert our people by ensuring that they give back to society in the areas of employment and revenue generation.
- We will ensure that any federal government MDAs operating in the state work in the best interest of our people based on their mandates. We will give our people the orientation to stand for their rights and respect other people's rights.
- Our administration will create employment and combat crimes through sporting activities by engaging youths in sporting activities like football, basketball, handball, volleyball, and badminton. This should be done through the construction and equipping of a mini sports centre in each of the fourteen local governments in the state.
- Organising the annual governor's cup and challenge cup among the fourteen local governments and the three senatorial zones, respectively.
- The sports centres should be under the purview of the Ministry of Sport and managed by the respective directors of sport of each Local Government.
- The above initiatives will help in identifying youth with talent that will represent the state, the country and represent themselves internationally to make themselves, the state and the country proud. Also, it will help in no small measure in tackling crimes and drug abuse by our youths.
CIVIL SERVICE
- The role of civil servants in the actualisation of any developmental agenda cannot be overemphasised. The civil service serves as the engine room where public policies and programmes are formulated, implemented, and evaluated. They are the backbone of every administration's success because they provide technical advice to political office holders and ensure the government's sustainability. The success of any government is nearly impossible without a motivated workforce. This motivation is both material and non-material.
- The payment of salaries is part of economic social welfare that stimulates economic activities which affect the consumption and the production positively, likewise the investment, especially in an economy like ours.
- On assumption of office, no doubt our administration will approve a full-scale minimum wage for all categories of staff. Implementation of a full-scale minimum wage will boost commercial activity in the state; money will exchange hands, everyone will have something to take home, economic activity will increase, and revenue will also increase.
- A housing scheme programme for civil servants would be initiated through a Public-Private Partnership arrangement to enable those who meet the requirements to own personal accommodation. Bicycles, motorcycles and car loans would also be extended to the deserving ones.
- Our administration will ensure the utmost utilization of our manpower to eliminate redundancy for effective service delivery.
- On the choice and appointment of members of the cabinet (i.e., commissioners and special advisers), heads of departments and agencies. It will be strictly on merit, my administration will look beyond political affiliation and search for patriotic, competent and progressive minds, people with the capacity to deliver and give them appointment, and accord them with all necessary support to achieve desired results.
Al-Magili, in '' DHIYA AL-IMAM, " in a poem, paraphrased, " If a leader appoints the best among his people as his government functionaries and technocrats and ignores the malignant and the corrupt of his people, this will be indicative of the fact that he is out for the welfare of his people. But where he behaves otherwise, he proves himself by so doing to be the enemy of his society. This is simply because every person is known by the company they keep. This is obvious for all human beings to grasp.
If elected, we will embark on rigorous developmental programs that will uplift the standard of living, contribute to the economic development of the state and boost internally generated revenue of the state.
Our commitments cut across every sphere of social well-being, and they encompass every sector of human and economic development of the state.
The Areas are:
- Education
- Health and environment
- Water, Roads and Electrification
- Agriculture and Animal Production
- Industries, Trade and Investment in Solid Mineral Development
- Job creation
- Social Security and Discipline
Education
To turn around the condition of education in the state, we will appoint an experienced classroom teacher or educational administrator who has taught in the primary/secondary schools for years to head the MDAs of education. Many will believe with me that apart from the deplorable condition of the schools and poor teachers' motivation, the root of the problems is in the foundation (i.e., Primary Schools).
- To revamp the education in the state, we need to address the following four fundamental issues: -
- Funding gap
- Teachers attitude to teaching
- Student attitude to learning
- Teachers/students motivation
Funding Gap
- Funding remains the major problem of education, not only in Zamfara but in the whole nation. It remains the major source of concern for the transformation of education in the state. Aside from state funding, we will explore other means of getting financial and technical support from international donor agencies like UNESCO, COMMONWEALTH EDUCATION TRUST, GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR EDUCATION, IEEE FOUNDATION, etc., to bridge the gap.
- Educational Trust Fund will be established in all the nineteen emirates we have in the state in which philanthropist, individual and organization (Corporate social responsibility) will be making contribution towards the development of education in the state, and the Trust Fund will be managed by registered investment managers with mandate of investing the funds in risk free investment like FG bond, Treasury bills etc. the proceeds from the investment will be used in building infrastructures based on priority need of the schools across the fourteen local governments of the state to complement the state government efforts.
- A Committee will be constituted by each Emirates to identify where to apply the proceeds of the trust funds in building additional classrooms, hostels, provision of teaching material and laboratory equipment and rewarding the best performing teacher(s) and the student(s)
- We will support the coming together of old boys/girls (Alumni) to support their Alma Mater in the areas of building classrooms, hostels and teaching equipment, and even volunteering to teach for those who have time to do so. This will also contribute, in no small measure, to the development of education in the state. We will enlighten the public on the benefits of this, and the schools should come up with the modalities that suit their needs to accommodate volunteers in their timetables.
Teachers' attitude to teaching: -
Changing teachers' attitudes to teaching can be achieved through the following ways.
- First, the ministry and other Departments and agencies have to ensure that all teachers are qualified in both skills, knowledge and qualifications to teach. This can be achieved through administering a competency test on them. Those who do not qualify to teach should transfer to mainstream public service and be replaced by competent ones from the mainstream civil servants.
- Training and retraining: We will sign an MOU with the National Teachers Institute on teachers' training/workshop, in which training will be organised for teachers at least once every year. (Arrangement of time and venue should be appropriately made accordingly, or during the long vacation.
- We will ensure that every teacher attend training relevant to the subject he/she is teaching at least once every year.
- We will ensure that the teachers are punctual to class, monitoring students and discharging their responsibilities accordingly.
Student attitude to learning: -
- Changing student attitude to learning can be achieved through the following ways.
- Teacher should always assume parenting roles, guidance and counselling for their student.
- Teachers should always enlighten their students on the importance of education, why they should be educated and what is expected from them.
- Encourage their student to imbibe good reading habits, writing notes, attending the library and evening prep. In those days, students attended Prep. (Reading) two times per day, i.e. evening and night prep. But because of the lack of electricity in the school, it is no longer possible for night prep. Now, the evening prep can be revived.
- Organising a quiz/debate for them to showcase their talent. Rewarding outstanding performing students during the speech and prize-giving day.
Teachers/students’ motivation: -
Improvement of the student and teachers' welfare can be achieved through the following ways.
I. For the teachers: -
- Additional staff houses will be built in the schools that have staff quarters and new staff quarters in schools that do not, in order to ease the suffering of those teachers posted out of their home town for teaching. This will boost their morale in discharging their duties and enhance the quality of the teaching.
- New schools with staff quarters will be built in all fourteen local government councils.
- Our administration will initiate and establish a Teachers Housing Scheme (T.H.S) in collaboration with estate developers in the form of a public-private partnership, in which the government will provide plots at a subsidised price while the developers build the structures based on an agreed arrangement, and give them out to the deserving teachers as loans at subsidize rate, payable from a monthly deduction from their salaries.
- Also, vehicles (i.e., Bicycles, Motorcycles and Cars) at a discount should be extended to deserving teachers to have means of transportation to their working places to ease their movement.
- Part of the teacher's welfare could be in the form of giving them commodities loans at discount rates compared to market price, payable in instalments, and payment of annual leave allowance.
- For us as a state to achieve qualitative education, we will make the teaching profession more attractive by making teachers' salaries the highest in the state.
- Naming schools, blocks of classrooms and hostels or halls in the name of outstanding performing teachers.
- Honouring outstanding performing teachers by inviting them to commission/launch government projects. We will accord them recognition for their contribution to society.
- The above will motivate them to give their best and continue to have passion in their profession.
II. For the student: -
- To encourage and motivate school enrolment, our administration will provide free uniforms and books where possible and sustain the feeding program.
- Many of the day schools we have in the state, especially in the state capital and the thirteen local government council capitals, are surrounded by houses, with not enough space for sporting activities as part of extra-curricular activities in the schools. We will demolish all structures attached to the schools to provide space for extra-curricular activities, as sporting activities encourage school attendance.
- The Ministry of Education and Universal Basic Education (UBE) should be made to organise annual secondary and primary schools' quiz/debate and sport competition in which the best performing student and school will be rewarded to encourage reading and sporting activities. This encourages teachers and students to do more.
- Our administration will ensure prompt payment of WAEC, NECO and NABTECH registration fees for indigenes of the state.
- All schools will reintroduce the promotion and demotion practice.
- Scholarship and sponsorship, local and foreign, will be reactivated.
- Our administration will automate school enrolment to check the trend of illiteracy level in the state, out-of-school children, and this will eliminate corruption characterised in the payment of Senior Secondary Certificate of Education (SSCE) registration.
- Will our administration look for the possibility to abolish the boarding school system in public schools and make them something like day schools? If this is done, the government will spend less to take care of the schools and upgrade them to enable every child to remain in their hometown to complete primary and secondary education with ease.
Benefits of the above
- Everyone will be able to go to school free of cost, and the society will be literate. Most of the cost of education is on the maintenance, such as feeding, accommodation, health, etc. If you make a simple analysis of the reasons for boarding, you will find out that it is because the children will have extra time to study during prep at night. Now, there is no single public school with a functional generator or good electricity to cater for the needs of both the staff and students at night.
- In addition to that, there's also the alleged issue of moral vices, such as drug abuse, lesbianism and sodomy amongst the students and teachers in boarding schools.
- Equally, most of the boarding school students do abandon their Islamic knowledge, except for a few who will continue to attend Islamic school during vacation, but if they are attending day school, they will also be able to attend Islamic school.
- Scrapping the boarding school system will reduce issues of moral vices to the barest minimum, and discipline will be improved.
- Last but not least, we must educate our people through Nomadic and Mass education. We will encourage Literacy development and manage it well in the state; this will help in changing the orientation of people, especially nomads and will reduce criminal activities in our communities.
- At least, let our people read, write, understand basic numeracy and be able to communicate in English without passing through formal education settings through establishing literacy centres to teach basic subjects such as English Language, Arithmetic and Hausa language.
- Our administration will appoint a Fulani native to head the Agency for Nomadic Education, which will give them a sense of belonging, and it will be easy for him to persuade them to accept nomads' programmes.
On the security and safety of the schools and students.
- We will be mindful and concerned about the safety and security of our vulnerable and unsecured school children, whom the bandits see as a soft target to unleash their terror and take them hostage to demand payment of ransom.
- The bandits normally capitalise on security weaknesses to unleash their terror on unarmed and vulnerable ones, who are their soft targets.
- The bandits are not battle-ready to confront and defy security arrangements to unleash their terror, which is why they are hiding in the forest.
- These terrorists hardly attack places where there are security arrangements or security formations, because they don't want to die.
- Many of the schools in the state operates without security guards thereby making the schools penetrable not only to bandits but also to other evil ones, and investigation revealed that most of security guards that the schools have had retired, and government has not employed their replacement, while some of those currently in service are old and too weak to carry out their functions, and the reasons why they didn't retire is fear of not getting their retirement benefits and pension as and when due.
The following measures, as part of crisis and emergency management, will be considered to address the above:
- Our administration will immediately relieve the aged and weak among the remaining security guards of the schools, and those who have overstayed their service, pay them their entitlements and allow them to go on retirement.
- Approve the recruitment of security guards comprising old soldiers and vigilantes, and deploy them to schools prone to banditry activities pending the time when lasting peace is achieved in the state.
- Arrangements will be made for surveillance of conventional security personnel at those schools pending the time when normalcy is restored.
- Due to the congestion of some schools and classes, some schools will operate on a morning and afternoon session arrangement.
- In locations where there are serious security concerns, two nearby schools will be merged and run in the morning and afternoon, as in places where the schools are congested.
- Our administration will resuscitate all our tertiary Institutions, additional classrooms will be built in our secondary and primary schools to reduce overcrowding of pupils and equip them with necessary teaching tools.
Health and Environment
- There are not enough Medical Doctors (and other essential medical personnel) in the state-owned hospitals; many have left the services of the state to either federal government hospitals or Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) due to poor remuneration, lack of equipment and poor conditions of the hospitals. Many patients have to travel to Sokoto, Zaria or Kano to consult doctors because the state lacks enough specialists, the Federal Medical Centre and Specialist Hospital are overcrowded, and the doctors are overburdened. Our administration will hire more doctors, improve their welfare and working conditions to reduce the difficulties faced by patients in our hospitals.
- Our health systems would be strengthened with both human and material resources to make them function properly. Indeed, the availability of skilled health providers (particularly midwives, nurses, doctors and obstetricians) is critical in assuring high-quality health care delivery.
- The MDGs 4 and 5 for child and maternal health are unlikely to be achieved without attention to the recruitment and retention of health professionals. Their services will be made accessible, available, acceptable, affordable and user-friendly, and will be equitably distributed in both rural and urban communities.
- Incentives will be given to skilled personnel to attract them to rural areas where their services are mostly needed.
- We will ensure an effective and efficient referral system linking all levels of healthcare.
- We will improve our poor infrastructural facilities, such as rural road network and transportation, as well as safe water and sanitation services.
- We will provide necessary modern working tools and laboratory equipment, and upgrade some of the primary healthcare service institutions to secondary healthcare service institutions.
- Our administration, in conjunction with the National Primary Healthcare and Local Government councils, will provide necessary equipment for the primary healthcare clinics we have in the state to cater for the needs of health service delivery at that level.
- Above will reduce the burden of work to the Doctors and reduce overcrowding of patients in our general hospital. Research shows that 60% and 80% of outpatient hospital attendants are women and children with cases of malaria/typhoid respectively, which can be treated at a primary clinic.
- We will encourage females of the state to study medicine, especially Gynaecology, by giving them scholarships to study in and out of the country to cater for the medical needs of their fellows.
- Hopefully, in our first six months in office, we will establish the first maternity hospital in the state, which would be a women-based clinic that will solely cater for women's needs only (i.e. antenatal, postnatal and pediatric).
- We will deploy a health management records facility in all our hospitals.
- We will ban the private practice of doctors under the employment of the state government.
Environment
- We will ensure the preservation and protection of the environment against illegal miners and other factors considered to be threats and harmful to both humans and animals, like indiscriminate cutting of trees and bush burning (deforestation). A strict penalty will be imposed on defaulters.
- We will come up with a tree planting programme and encourage the public to plant trees.
- All environmental laws will be reviewed and enforced to preserve the environment.
Town planning
- Under our watch, it will be mandatory for anybody who wants to allocate their farm as a piece of land or plots for sale to obtain approval and pay the necessary charges to the government.
- After obtaining all the necessary approval, the authority in charge of town planning will be the one to sketch the architectural design of the area so as to make provision for roads and drainage.
- Above will give easy access to the area, more especially during emergencies (e.g. disaster, flood or fire outbreak) and will reduce the government's burden on payment of compensation when the need for construction of roads in the area arises.
- In the same vein, anybody wanting to erect a building should have to obtain approval from the urban and regional planning board and the Ministry of Environment after making payment of all the necessary charges. While the Ministry of Environment is concerned with the provision for the passage of water and preservation of the natural resources, the town planning board will be concerned with approval for building.
- We will ensure strict adherence to regional and town planning policies and also collect land use charges, especially from government reserved areas and government layouts.
- We will make sure land/plot allocated to individual and corporate bodies is used for the purpose for which the government granted it for and within the approved time, or face revocation.
Water, Roads, and Electrification
Water
- On water supply, we will explore other alternative means of water supply and strengthen the capacity of the existing ones.
- We will collect water rates, especially from wealthy individuals and firms, to subsidise the low-income populace in order to sustain constant maintenance and supply.
- We will pay attention to the provision of portable drinking water in rural and urban areas, our administration will embark on massive construction and drilling of qualitative solar-powered boreholes and hand pump boreholes to ease their suffering.
- The drilling of the hand pump boreholes will be done during the dry season to avoid a situation where the boreholes will dry up if it is done during the rainy season.
Roads
All the ongoing road construction will be completed in time and new ones will be initiatedOur administration will give priority to rural roads to ease their suffering.
Electricity
More towns will be connected to the national grid, and more power supply transformers will be installed to boost power supply in those areas where there is power already. In this regard, the government has to ensure that the Electricity Distribution Company does the needful, so that our people would not be allowed to pay for the darkness.
Agriculture and Animal Production
- To eradicate poverty, revitalisation of agriculture is the best strategy because food security is the number one poverty reduction mechanism. It is a major facet of the economy if taken seriously. It is a source of employment and inputs (raw materials) for industries.
- We will invest heavily in agriculture and ensure that only those in the business of farming benefit from the government's (or government-mediated) intervention. The intervention will be through associations of farmers, not through politicians. The government will put in place a plan to ensure year-round farming in the state, especially rice farming.
- Investment of the state in agriculture would contribute in no small measure to job creation and provide more revenue to the government.
- It is disheartening to mention that despite our motto "Land of Farming and Solid Minerals", in recent times, the name of the state is not mentioned amongst the states doing well in the agricultural sector.
- We will ensure that women are not left behind in skills acquisition and agriculture, as it does not involve going to the farm or leaving their houses.
- We will widen the scope of agricultural producers. Agriculture is for all sexes, marital statuses, the old and the young. Women can engage in fishery, poultry, or animal rearing as they demand less mobility, rigour, and expenditure of energy.
- It is sad to mention that out of 33,000 hectares used in irrigation at Talata Marafa, less than 10,000 hectares are being utilised. We will find out the reasons for the decline in irrigation in the state and address it.
- Despite the security challenges facing the state, we will pay proper attention to agriculture, to boost our capacity in food production to feed the nation, as our soil can grow and cultivate almost all varieties of crops.
- We will make the state viable economically through agriculture and mining. This can be achieved through the provision and distribution of fertiliser to the farmers at a most subsidised rate.
- Modern and mechanised farming systems will be adopted by re-introducing the services of agricultural extension workers to educate and enlighten farmers on how to use modern farming techniques and inputs. Zamfara State Comprehensive Agriculture Revolution Programme (ZACAREP) will be of immense help in this direction.
- We will support more agricultural research by funding individual researchers and agencies.
- Our administration will encourage fish farming, poultry and animal production by giving the farmers necessary training and financial support in the form of loans and assistance.
- The government will give loans to the farmers in the form of inputs, fertiliser, and tools, and to pay back from their output after harvest, in which the government should purchase from them above the market price and reserve it for sale in and out of the state and even for exportation.
- We will ensure all year-round farming in the state by encouraging dry-season farming through the provision of generator sets and other necessary inputs and tools, payable after harvest.
- Furthermore, the government will build an earth dam at some strategic locations to boost dry-season farming, and also make provision for enough grazing land for Fulani herdsmen to mitigate conflicts between farmers and herdsmen.
- We will educate farmers, especially rural farmers, on modern marketing of agricultural produce, competitive advantage and good record keeping for maximum profitability and reduction of cost in Agro-business.
- To achieve these, we will ensure that only those in the business of farming are parties to the government intervention through their various associations, not through politicians.
Industries, Trade and Investment in Solid Minerals
- Our administration, in partnership with private investors (local and foreign), would try to see how we can establish a tomatoes, mango, guava and cashew processing company in which bottles and cans of juice of different types will be produced for sales in and out of the state. Also, Groundnut Oil Mill Company and Rice Processing Company can be established as well, as this will provide a market for farmers, employment for the people and increase the revenue generation of the government.
- Government, as a matter of priority, will immediately complete the construction of Gusau Central Market, which was abandoned for years. This should be done in conformity with its original structural design, reviewing the allocation of shops/stands and arrangement of sections.
- Establishing a parking lot for fees within the market to decongest disorganised parking of vehicles.
- As part of the poverty alleviation effort under Zamfara Agency for Poverty Alleviation (ZAPA), collateralised interest-free loans will be extended to the tradesmen and women through banks as on-lending in their books, in which the banks will only charge commission and other charges of maintaining accounts.
- We encourage and assist our people in artisanal mining, which will reduce unemployment levels and over-dependence of the state on federal government allocation.
- There is already an approved benefit of 13% revenue derivation allocated to the solid mineral-producing state(s). We will ensure that the Federal Government formalize the sector.
- We will resuscitate the skill acquisition centre for unskilled youths in the state capital and establish two more, one each in the north and west senatorial zones.
- Revamp the Directorate of Women Empowerment to train them on various skills. Women's Centres need to be reintroduced, with each centre having the requisite equipment for teaching skills in functional/literacy and skills acquisition. This can eventually help our out-of-school girls and women (i.e., married, widowed and divorced) to engage in economic activities that can alleviate poverty and prevent them from engaging in illegal and immoral businesses to cater for their needs.
- Peanuts, Tiger nuts and other nut sellers will be trained on Processing, packaging, levelling, and branding to add value to their products for consumer satisfaction and maximum profitability for the sellers.
- At this moment, considering the meagre resources the state has, our administration will partner with private individuals and corporate entities in skills acquisition, pending the time when the state will have enough resources to procure the machinery for the proper takeoff of government-owned centres. This should be done by sending prospective trainees to the trainers as apprentices for a payable fee, and giving stipends to the trainees after agreeing on terms and conditions with both the trainees and trainers.
- Also, we will invite experts from other states to come and set up skills centres and businesses to train our people by giving them a site location and a tax holiday. As it is now, our people go to Kaduna and Kano to buy furniture (Royal designs and others) made in those states, but with this kind of arrangement, we can produce them in our state and sell to other neighbouring states if we can produce high-quality furniture.
- We will encourage and partner with the Nigerian Railway Authority in the area of transportation of cattle and sheep to the southern parts of the country. This was started before but has now stopped.
- We will encourage our butchers in the processing and packaging of animals' skin/hide through drying and burning for selling to the southern states.
- We will ensure speedy completion of Gusau-Magami-Dansadau road. The axis warehouses seven weekly major markets, i.e., Wanke, Magami, 'Yar tasha, 'Yar katsina, Dangulbi, Dan kurmi, and Dansadau. The reconstruction of the road will boost commercial and economic activities of the state, and it will increase agricultural production, and reduce the level of insecurity within that axis, because if the road is good, it is easier for the security forces to respond to distress calls.
- We will relocate some commercial shops and centres in the state capital to the central market to speed up the development of the market and business activities.
- Shops along the old market central should be compelled to open only from 6 pm to 6 am for the time being to boost business activities at the central market pending the time when the central market is full. Rename the old central market to Night Market (Kasuwar Dare).
- With the take-off of the state airport, this will attract investors and boost the local economy by improving the transportation of goods and commodities, thus fostering growth in the agriculture and trade sectors. This could potentially improve the market access for local farmers and businesses, allowing them to reach broader markets, both domestically and internationally.
- The airport and investment house are imperative in facilitating the evacuation of farm produce and animal products, and creating conduits for both domestic and international businesses, thereby bolstering the business acumen of the populace. Distributors, manufacturers, and other business magnates can seamlessly operate between the Investment House and the airport. Job creation.
- Acquiring skills is more economically viable than giving money to people as a giveaway without working for it. This culture has been in place in the state since 1999, and it has not yielded any meaningful fruit. There is no doubt that this culture of giving money to people instead of giving them skills has done a lot of damage to the economy of the state and exposed us to security threats. Revenue Generation
- It is axiomatic that without cash inflows, the government cannot execute or implement any meaningful projects even if it is willing to do so; financial resources are a powerhouse that keeps the government functioning and rise to its responsibilities.
- On revenue generation, we will gear up to improve its revenue base, both tax and non-tax revenue, which will reduce the state's dependence on federal allocation. There is also the benefit of 13% revenue derivation allocated to solid mineral-producing states; we will do everything possible to ensure that the endowed natural resources of the state are being tapped legally to benefit from the revenue coming from it.
- The public will be enlightened on the importance of paying taxes, levies, and other revenue due to the state.
- We will block leakages on tax collection and ensure that what is due for the government goes to government coffers and then channel it to public infrastructure, and not allow it to end up in the pocket of a few individuals, leaving the taxpayers with double pain, i.e., the pain of taking part of their income and the pain of not providing them with the infrastructure.
- The resources available to the state (IGR and statutory monthly allocation), if judiciously utilised, will go a long way in solving so many societal problems.
- We will be focused on and doing so by not making unnecessary travel, which has no positive impact on the lives of the people.
- Considering the cost implication of travelling with a retinue of aides, we will cut short our spending by sending the relevant commissioner to represent the state on official gatherings relevant to the commissioner's ministry instead of attending every function with a retinue of aides. This will improve efficiency in the running of the government.
- The outlook of the global economy is uncertain; we will be proactive and put measures in place to ensure that we can withstand the adverse effects of the economic realities.
- Controlling government expenditures is necessary except for necessities, and saving as a buffer is essential for unforeseen circumstances. We will stop all unnecessary spending, drastically reduce overhead costs and contract costs, and alternatively switch to direct labour on some projects.
Discipline and Social Security
- Statistics have shown that an average of 10 innocent people are being killed daily, which translates to three hundred being killed every month and three thousand three hundred and sixty every year or even more than that, and there is no single authority saddled with the responsibility of reporting and compiling it.
- People certainly underreport the number of people being killed and those who sustained injuries. People are fed up because they are not receiving the attention they desire from the relevant authorities.
- No statistical information on the number of dislodged/displaced communities and settlements, and those who became internally displaced persons and refugees in and out of the state and neighbouring countries. Lack of collecting information and keeping records proves that the government is insensitive toward handling the situation, and there is no plan to rehabilitate, reconstruct and resettle the affected communities.
- No authority (Federal, State and Local Government) is saddled with the responsibilities of receiving, recording and compiling information on the number of people being kidnapped and held hostage. This indicates that there is no deliberate plan to rescue and free them.
- No authority is taking into account the number of children and women who became untimely orphans and widows, respectively, and no record of those who were made to become disabled with special needs. This means that no plan to rehabilitate them.
- Banditry activities have adversely affected the economic and general well-being of the people.
Our administration will establish a "Security Consultative Committee" to be chaired by myself, while members of the committee will comprise:
- Deputy Governor
- All seventeen royal fathers in the state.
- Chairmen of the fourteen local governments in the state.
- Three representatives from the Council of Ulamas.
- One representative each from the Police commissioner, the Director DSS and the Commandant NSCDC
- The Commissioner of Justice is to serve as secretary of the committee.
The responsibilities of the committee are:
- Advisory role on how to treat breaches of security and improve security in the state.
- Intelligence gathering, receiving security threat complaints, and sensitising the public on security issues.
- The committee will meet every month to discuss and review the security situation, for deliberation and decision.
- The committee will ensure that payment of allowances of the security personnel on special assignment to their respective account directly, instead of paying them through the commissioner of police or Commandant NCSDC, as the case may be.
- The committee will ensure that the Security Trust Fund is functioning.
- The committee will empower Ulama, traditional leaders and their various committees of zakka collection and distribution to solicit support for people affected by the banditry activities.
- The committee will ensure that various programmes in Fulfulde, including preaching and sermons in all of the state-owned media houses are introduced and make it mandatory for private media houses operating in the state to do the same.
- The traditional rulers' welfare should be increased by reviewing their salaries and allowances; the government should also carry them along, especially in the areas of security and agriculture.
- Above will make the people and communities affected by banditry feel a sense of belonging.
Local Government Administration
- The essence of local government administration is to bring government closer to the people. Insha Allah, we will run an all-inclusive government in trying to solve our problems, political, economic and social. The primary duty of any responsive and responsible government worldwide is the protection of lives and properties, as well as the provision of basic and socio-economic amenities for the well-being of the citizenry.
- When elected and assume duty I will ensure that our local government operate as third tier of the government through giving them administrative and financial independence.
- Having autonomous Local Government will help us to actualize our dream for the state, if the local governments are up and doing well to improve the standard living of people in term of job creation through farming, skill acquisition and making modest contribution in building infrastructure, education, healthcare and security, creating awareness and enlightenment on community development and citizen contribution in nation building, the burden on the center will reduce and people attention will be divert to become self-reliant instead of depending on government in every aspect of their lives.
- Our administration will ensure Local Governments Administration/ Service reform for effective administration and service delivery.
Law Reform and Institutional Building
- Our administration will review laws that established our institutions and authorities with a view to reforming and strengthening them to meet the current and future needs of society, with a mechanism to withstand shocks and become resilient.
- We will ensure effective Public/Civil Service reform for effective service delivery.
- We will ensure the utmost utilization of our manpower to eliminate redundancy for effective service delivery.
Administration of justice
- Judicial institutions have the potential to contribute to economic development, re-ordering society and the attainment of social justice.
- The key stakeholders in the administration of justice in Zamfara State include the following:
- Judiciary (High Court and Sharia Court of Appeal Divisions): This comprises Judges (i.e. High Court Judges, Khadis of Sharia Court of Appeal, Magistrates and Sharia Court Judges) & judicial staff (i.e. Courts Registrars, bailiffs, clerks, etc.).
- Ministry of Justice. This comprises Hon. Attorney-General, State Counsel and Sharia Court Prosecutors.
- Police: This comprises investigators and prosecutors of crimes.
Unfortunately, all the above stakeholders have, over the years, faced numerous problems which hinder their ability to render effective services in the administration of justice. These problems include ineptitude, greed and selfish interest of successive State Attorney-Generals, poor remuneration of Judges and judicial staff, corruption, incompetence arising from lack of continuous training, lack of modern facilities for administration of justice, protracted prosecution of criminal cases leading to congestion of our correctional centres (prisons), poor coordination between the State and the Police in investigation of high-profile crimes, etc.
Our administration will ensure an effective justice system that would help in bringing peace and security, protection of vulnerable populations, speedy dispute resolution, combating economic and financial crimes.
We will Liaise with office of the CJ, Grand Khadi, and Legal Aid Council office to ensure that issues of protracted litigation especially those related to sharing of inheritance, and issues of incarceration without verdict (awaiting trials) are addressed speedily.
Our administration will establish Justice Sector Reforms Committee under the Chairmanship of the State Attorney-General, with membership to be drawn from the Judiciary, Ministry of Justice, private bar, Police and academia. The main tasks of the Committee would be:
Critical Review of the legal, institutional and other factors hindering effective administration of justice in the State.
Proposing Solutions to the problems based on the peculiarities and scarce resources of the state.
Decongestion of criminal cases in our sharia courts through review of infamous Law No. 7, which robs our Magistrate Court of jurisdiction to try criminal offences where all the parties are Muslims.
We will consider the feasibility of establishing the following:
- Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre to facilitate speedy resolutions of cases.
- Ministry of Justice Academy (as the case in Ekiti State) has the single mandate of ensuring that stakeholders in the administration of justice are given the opportunity to improve their knowledge and skills.
- Office of Public Defender (as the case in Lagos State) to promote fair and equal access to justice through the provision of free legal services to the indigent.
- Promulgation of Laws that would provide a legal framework for the delivery of sustainable development goals to the people in a manner consistent with our electoral promises.
SHARI'AH LEGAL SYSTEM
- Allah the Exalted has made clear in his law (sharia) that the objective is the establishment of justice between His servants and fairness among the people, so whichever path leads to justice and fairness is part of the religion and can never oppose it. In this respect, Muslims attempt to encourage others to do good and behave justly and in line with Islamic ethics and law. They also attempt to discourage others from doing wrong, usually by talking to them or showing displeasure when someone does something wrong.
- In all instances, we have been commanded to be sensitive and careful when dealing with others, and at no time are we allowed to use hurtful language or violence.
- The aim of making these duties compulsory is to improve the standing of society and foster better interaction and behaviour amongst us. It also places responsibility on everyone to care about society and help to better it, rather than leaving it to a few.
Our administration will revive and strengthen the Shari’ah legal system, bearing in mind what Allah says in Suratul Hajj verse 40-41
Allah will certainly help those who stand up for Him. Allah is truly All-Powerful, Almighty. They are those who, if We give them authority in the land, establish prayer and give zakah and enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong. And to Allah belongs the outcome of all matters.
Abu Sa‘Ä«d al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah say, "Whosoever of you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then [let him change it] with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart — and that is the weakest of faith." [Muslim]
Abu Mas'ud Al-Ansar reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Whoever guides someone to goodness will have a reward like one who did it." Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1893 Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Muslim
Ma'qil bin Yasar (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (ï·º) said, "Any slave whom Allah makes him in charge of subjects and he dies while he is not sincere to them, Allah will make Jannah unlawful for him".
...And in another narration: "He, who does not look after his subjects with goodwill and sincerity, will be deprived of the fragrance of Jannah".
Ä€'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If Allah wills to do good to a ruler, He appoints for him a truthful adviser, who will remind him if he forgets and help him if he remembers. And if Allah wills otherwise for him, He appoints for him a bad adviser who will not remind him if he forgets, nor will he help him if he remembers." [Authentic hadith] - [Narrated by Abu Daoud]
If I am elected as a Governor, Allah has given me all three privileges, to preach, to use sanctions and punishment and to detest the evils. I pay to Almighty Allah that I shall not be the weakest in faith.
Our administration will give emphasis on discipline and moral behaviours; we will not condone moral vices and indiscipline.
I will make it a duty to visit schools, hospitals, markets and motor parks at a time interval to interact with people and get their feedback on various government policies and programmes. We will not inflict hardship to our people, we will come up with compensation policy to compensate people whose government take over their property (ies) due to public importance projects.
Above are the minimum agenda to pursue, there are policies and decisions which are not for public consumption, they are sensitive and on need basis. May Almighty Allah guide and light our ways.
A leader must be consistent and honest in his actions, regardless of provocation or situation. Integrity cannot be bought; it is achieved over a period of time during which one has been known for never faltering or acting or speaking for the cameras. Being a person of integrity entails that you are aware of the impact your behaviour or action would have on those looking up to you. Also, a leader of integrity is a man who remains consistent in his ways, no matter the amount of power vested in him.
Let me end, by quoting the founder of the modern city of Dubai, Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum who said; “An easy life does not make men, nor does it build nations. Challenges make men, and it is these men who build nations.” And again: “Whosoever convinces himself that he is not worthy of first position, has doomed himself to failure from the very beginning.
SULAIMAN TUKUR
ZAMFARA APC GOVERNORSHIP ASPIRANT
