NASIR EL-RUFAI RECORD AS GOVERNOR OF KADUNA
IN ONE MONTH
I welcome you all with
humility and gratitude
to the very first Town
Hall meeting we are
hosting as a
government. It is not yet
one month since we
were sworn-in, but to
the extent that it has
pleased Allah to bestow
His grace upon us, we
have set about doing the
work of change that you
mandated us to do.
During the campaign, we promised that we shall be engaging
and interacting with the public regularly. We pledged that we
will provide you regular updates and listen to your feedback,
including criticisms and suggestions. Here, we are before you
today to do as we pledged. As we have started, so we intend
to continue, always striving to get better at achieving results.
Immediately after we were sworn-in on 29 May 2015, we
reported for duty with the sense of urgency that you
demanded. As we expected, we met a state that is broke, and
whose schools, hospitals and roads are in poor shape. We
knew that a lot of sacrifice will be required to restore the state
to good health. This government’s priority is actually growth
and development in a safe and secure environment; because
we understand that the things that matter are the public goods
of quality schools, decent hospitals and good roads; we know
that leaders must pursue the creation of a climate that
promotes security, social harmony and is therefore conducive
to bringing jobs and economic opportunity. Thus our first
step was to announce that the deputy-governor and I will be
taking a 50% pay cut.
As we took briefings from the ministries, departments and
agencies in our very first week, the depth of the financial
problem became clearer to us as well as the impact the
decades of impunity have had on the mental attitudes of the
institutions that constitute the public service. As one astute
observer of the situation commented recently, the public
service does not serve the public; rather it considers itself as
the public and thus serves only itself.
We emphatically reject this mentality. The new government
of Kaduna State has therefore declared that the resources of
the state will be devoted to serving the public, with schools,
hospitals and roads; aiding our farmers and doing our utmost
to create jobs. To do that, we must cut the cost of running
government. Ours will no longer be the state that has too little
left for the needs of the majority of the people.
That is our guiding principle as we reduce costs. And we
have taken concrete action in this regard. We have
restructured our ministries from 19 to 13. We have also
decided that we will have only 13 commissioners, ten special
advisers and 12 special assistants. You all remember that the
previous government had 24 commissioners, 41 special
advisers and about 400 special assistants. But good
governance is not about recruiting vast numbers of political
appointees. It is about the smallest number that can provide
the quality of service that is required.
We are saddened by the condition in which we found the
state. But we shall never use that as an excuse for non-
performance. It is our duty to do our best always. That is why
we are finding creative even if difficult ways to deliver on our
promises.
What we have done
In our first month, we have done the following things:
Governance Reforms
Prioritising the People: We have made clear our intention to
devote a larger chunk of the state’s resources to providing
public services. We have signalled that a government elected
by majority vote should serve the majority.
Pay cut: the governor and the deputy governor have taken a
voluntary pay cut of 50%, and we have urged other political
official holders, elected or appointed, to follow this example.
Cost-cutting: ministries have been reduced from 19 to 13;
while your government has committed to appointing only 13
commissioners and the handful of needed special advisers and
special assistants. The selection of the Commissioners,
Advisers and Assistants will be based on merit, capacity and
experience because what is priority to us is getting the
necessary skill sets that will facilitate moving the State
forward.
Biometric verification: Our government is already
conducting biometric verification of its employees in order to
update the payroll and provide reliable data as to the precise
number of personnel in the public service. Two of Nigeria’s
leading banks, UBA and Zenith, are working with us on this
project.
Tax Reform Committee: We have set up a committee
chaired by Ifueko Omogui, former chairman of the Federal
Inland Revenue Service, to review our internal revenue
generation structures, systems and laws. The committee will
recommend ways by which we can improve our internally
generated revenue. This will reduce our dependency on the
federal government. We will be masters of our own fate.
Transparency: We have signed up to Open Budget, a tool
that enables you to track what we are doing with your money.
Health
Your government has already convened a summit of Kaduna
State Healthcare partners to set out the state’s priorities in the
Health Sector, and to also ensure that all funds in the health
sector are streamlined to ensure an effective coordinated
service delivery. The donor community and multilateral
agencies attended, along with businesses that are active in the
state’s health sector.
Kaduna State has signed an Memorandum of Understanding
with General Electric Healthcare to modernise our primary
health centers and public hospitals. Both parties have
committed to identifying the specific needs of the centers and
hospitals, so that modern equipment can be installed to
improve the diagnosis and management of patients.
We have signed the 2015 Kaduna State-UNICEF 2015
workplan. The state government is ready with its counterpart
funding for the agreed initiatives in healthcare, nutrition,
HIV/AIDS, water, sanitation and child protection.
Installation of two dialysis machines and the repair of three
dialysis equipment at Barau Dikko Hospital. Arrangements
are being made to purchase consumables for the next 12
months so that dialysis will be affordable to Kaduna citizens.
Security
Peace Committee: A committee, chaired by the respected
General Martin Agwai, is working to identify the causes of
conflict and insecurity in Southern Kaduna and thereafter
recommend ways of tackling the problem.
Interstate cooperation: Kaduna State is working with
Zamfara, Katsina, Kebbi and Niger States to design a
collective approach to common security challenges in the
forest ranges that strides our respective States. A meeting is
being held today with the respective State Governors and
Security Agencies to advance the implementation of this
initiative.
Presidential support: Kaduna State has briefed and updated
the president on the security challenges, and the president has
pledged FG support for the comprehensive security plan.
Relief: We have conducted multiple aerial surveys of the
Birnin-Gwari area and have visited affected communities
there and in Southern Kaduna, offering medical assistance
and condolences.
Prisons: we have visited prisons in Kaduna and Zaria,
pursuing rehabilitation of facilities and decongestion. As a
result of these efforts, 98 persons awaiting trial for minor
offenses were released by the Chief Judge of Kaduna State.
Infrastructure
Zaria Water Project: We have ordered accelerated work to
complete this project as a priority item for our government.
We have visited the site of the project and reviewed it with
the contractors. A firm decision has been taken to commit
funds monthly so that the project can be completed by early
2018.
The African Development Bank and Islamic Development
Bank, the major funders of the project, have been consulted
and they share our desire to speed-up completion. In addition,
we are working on a project to upgrade the capacity to supply
water to Kaduna residents through a new Kaduna Water
Project.
Job creation
Kaduna Cabs: We have initiated a scheme to revive taxi
services in our major urban centres. The aim is to create jobs
for owner-drivers who will help improve the commuting
experience with their comfortable cars and excellent customer
service. The scheme is starting with 200 vehicles in Kaduna,
and is being implemented in collaboration with Peugeot. We
have already placed adverts to invite participation in the
scheme.
Indorama: Our drive to attract new investors to the state has
attracted positive response from Indorama, a leading player in
petrochemicals. They have selected Kaduna as their regional
distribution centre. They will be building warehouses,
fertilizer blending plant and a training centre in Kaduna.
Shopping Mall: Our main urban centres, including the state
capital Kaduna, are lacking modern shopping malls. We have
indicated our readiness to partner with capable investors in
this sector.
Agriculture
Fertilizer: One of our first actions in office was to stop the
unfair practice of allocating subsidized fertilizer to prominent
persons to the detriment of ordinary farmers. We launched
the 2015 fertilizer sales season in Kachia with a clear structure
that sells fertilizers to interested persons from designated sales
point. We shall be reviewing and improving the process of
procuring and distributing fertilizer to make access easier for
the farmers.
A New Agricultural Policy is being prepared with the aim of
enhancing the capacity of the sector to create viable jobs;
improve farm productivity and raise the involvement of
Kaduna citizens in the value chain.
Sanitation
Clean city agenda: We have met the sanitation contractors
and have expressed to them our dissatisfaction at the squalid
state of our urban areas. We want our towns and cities to be
clean, and we shall do it.
Sports
Kaduna has, for the first time in a long while, hosted an
international football match when the Super Eagles played a
friendly match with Chad at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium. Our
people turned out to see the game, showing that Kaduna is a
sports city. That impressive turnout has now placed us on the
radar to host many competitive matches because the football
authorities now know that our great people will actually come
to the stadium, fill it up and cheer the players.
What we intend to do
In the following months, we shall be focused on the
following issues:
Education: we shall begin implementing our comprehensive
agenda to improve education. School repairs, and the
provision of facilities like furniture, water and toilets will
begin as we fulfill our responsibility to provide a better
learning environment. Alongside this, we shall begin to
enhance the capacity and quality of the teachers generally,
and we shall pay extra attention to getting more and better
teachers in English, Maths and Science.
Health: hospital upgrades, in terms of facilities and
equipment, will be accelerated as our MoU with GE
Healthcare is steadily implemented. We have a commitment to
properly equipping our hospitals so that most of our people’s
healthcare needs can be met by our own public hospitals.
Township Roads: neighbourhood and township roads in our
major urban centres will be upgraded to the extent we can
within this rainy season.
Transport: our multilayer transport architecture will be
executed. That includes preparations, studies and projects to
put in place:
- the new cab scheme and expanding to Zaria and
Kafanchan,
- a BRT system for mass transit starting with Kaduna,
- a major project to establish Kaduna-Zaria light rail
system between Shika and through the Kaduna Metropolis
and up to the Refinery,
- new bus and truck terminals in Kaduna, Tafa, Mararaban
Jos and Zaria
Security
- Comprehensive security plan for Southern Kaduna and
the Birnin-Gwari/Giwa axi
- Forensic laboratory under the control of our State
Internal Security outfit – Operation Yaki – to enhance the
investigative capacity of law-enforcement agencies
Clean Cities: We would not allow our urban centres to
continue to be defaced by waste. We shall be improving
waste collection, then we would introduce sanitary inspectors
and engage the public in a voluntary commitment to make our
cities clean.
Rural and community development: Under the leadership
of our Deputy Governor, we shall be mainstreaming the
Millennium Village Pampaida. programme as a viable model
across our rural communities. It will have components to
I mprove education, healthcare, rural roads and the farming
activities that engage most of our rural residents.
Job Creation: your government will undertake direct
recruitment of qualified doctors, nurses and teachers to
urgently raise the quality of service in our hospitals and
schools. We shall also employ at least 50 youths per ward
over the next four years, in our initial efforts for traffic
control and environmental enforcement. But try as it might,
government can only employ a minority of youths who need
jobs. Thus we remain focused on creating a favourable
climate for the private sector to create jobs.
Textile Revival: We have the support of Mr. President to
work on policies and schemes that will revive this sector as
viable and sustainable employer of labour. We are
cooperating with current and potential textile investors on a
package that stimulates the value-chain from cotton farming
to garmenting.
There is so much to do, with fewer resources. But we have no
option than to deliver quality performance for the people who
have invested so much hope in us. We need your
understanding and support for the difficult decisions that we
must take if we are to serve you to the best of our ability. We
will need committed people in and out of government to
contribute to achieving the goals we have set out.
We are not shrinking government for its own sake. We are
making government leaner so that it can work better for you.
Let us all make sacrifices for change.
Above is the Keynote address by Nasir El-Rufai,
Governor of Kaduna State, at the first Town Hall meeting
of the APC Kaduna State Government, at the Hassan
Katsina House, Kawo, Kaduna, on Saturday, 27 June
2015

Am pretty sure dis op didnt read dis unending epistle

My best governor so far this tenure

Luedave:
Am pretty sure dis op didnt read dis unending epistle

Africans general disease 'we hate to ready' but u are wrong if u think I didn't read it before posting

Too early to count

But he has a good motive