Katsina: So Far So Good

By SULAIMAN KAITA

Katsina State citizens are well known for their honesty, hard work and hospitality. In every facet of human endeavours, Katsina indigenes are found good and excellent in performance. They always hold the sanctity of their faith, the fear of God as supreme.
Every government comes up with it juicy manifestoes and mouth-watering promises that raise the hope of her citizens. Today, the Dr. Shema administration has not only been able to transform its manifestoes into reality but also silenced must of her critics.
Barrister Dr. Ibrahim Shehu Shema, a Lawyer by profession and also a nation builder, has delivered tremendously in Katsina State. Ideally, new governments inherit policies from their predecessors and build upon them. Dr. Shema also inherits such policies from the Late President, Alh. Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, when he was the Governor of Katsina State. Being realistic as an action governor, these projects were taken into consideration and completed at last.
It would be will recall that in 2009, Katsina has emerged as the best performing state in the implementation of UBE Programme in Nigeria, while Dr. Shema also received an award as a best governor on that sector.
As we all know, education is the backbone of every society, and there is no meaningful development without education. Apart from education all infrastructures where taken into consideration by his government. For a state whose youths constitute about 65% of the total population of 5.79 million people (2006 national census), it is unimaginable to comprehend the level of wasted talents over the years.
It was in this context that the 2007 election ushered in a revolution, with the people willing to support the right team that seems to have their interest at heart. One of the achievements of this present administration is to ensure the immediate regeneration of our society by the creation of skills acquisition centres for the 3 senatorial zones of the state.
The zones are Katsina, Funtua and Daura respectively in order to fast-track the human capital development. The agency is meant to undertake 16 core areas of intervention.
Over 4,377 youths where trained on various skills at the upgraded 10 Bask Apprentice Training Centres in the State. Within two years, the agency has been able to create a data bank by registering 700,000 unemployed youths and women between the ages of 14 and 32 years.
Using these facts and figures, the government has been able to secure scholarship to the indigene of the State, 117 students where sponsored to six universities in Sudan for various degree programmes including Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Arabic, Computing, Calligraphy and Manuscript.
In order to maintain education in a top priority, the government has paid all the fees, which will cover the whole period of the courses duration. More so, the state government has been able to secure admissions into tertiary institutions for over 3000 indigene students, whilst paying their tuition fees and providing them with subsistence allowances.
In partnership with various private and public organizations, such as NAPEP, Oceanic Bank and Zain, government contributed N200,000,000 (Two Hundred Million Naira) under the Multi Partner Micro Finance scheme. Oceanic Bank also contributed N200,000,000 (Two Hundred Million Naira) while NAPEP put in N40,000,000 (Four Million Naira) to empower 847 groups in the State. More than 1000 jobs were created in partnership with Zain.
The underprivileged areas have been engaged in sanitary and security duties. Many of them are undergoing training to be recruited into the services of some ministry's and paramilitary forces.
Katsina State government has not only given the youths and women fish but has also equipped them to learn how to catch fish themselves. Between May 2007 to December 2009, government has been able to train more than 2000 youths in different skills under the Quarry Operation Support Programme (compressors, drilling, accessories and explosives) in nine LGAs (Bakori, Faskari, Matazu, Safana, Batagarawa, Jibia, Mashi, Dutsi and Sandamu) respectively. Also Katsina State government under the able leadership of Barr. Dr. Ibrahim Shehu Shema, was been able to train 50 youths on high tech welding of Nigeria Naval Engineering Training College at Sapele in Delta State.
Government has constructed and equipped youth craft village in Katsina. The centre has been training the youths in 16 different trades and is expected to train 2000 youths annually. More than 2500 indigenes of the State were assisted to secure employment in Federal establishment.
As a new organization in the present administration, the agency is ready to face the challenges, in other to raise up the youth capacity building into the international standard.
There, therefore, is not the time to point accusing fingers to the government of Barr. Dr. Ibrahim Shehu Shema. It is rather the time for all the warring oppositions in the State to lay down their arms and put away their differences in order to partner with Dr. Shema's administration.
Dr. Shema has established rehabilitation centres to help reform our youths. It is now the duty of the citizenry of Katsina State to accept them as prodigal sons and daughters, offer them jobs and even scholarship in order to fast-track the government for re-structuring them.
This will make them unavailable for societal and political vices. After all, critics should learn how to criticize government with meaningful and constructive facts in order to maintain peace and harmony to the State and Nigeria at large as the forthcoming general election is around the corner.