The return of Ahmadu Fintiri on May 29th, 2023, for a second tenure as Governor of Adamawa state must be giving all meaning indigenes of Adamawa goosebumps. It’s not every day that an incumbent worth his onion is returned elected. It’s even more significant in the case of Adamawa considering the corrupt gymnastics that were commissioned by a certain Barrister Hudu who attempted to stand our laws in the head. But, for the vigilance of the people of Adamawa and a proactive umpire, the state would have been locked in a pungent legal battle occasioned by the greed of one man and his highly placed backers.
Well, thank God that disaster was averted, giving Adamawa the opportunity to witness this period of renewed and reinvigorated march towards sustained dividends of democracy. A commitment that His Excellency, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri reiterated in his inauguration speech titled “Hope Restored”. “Let us embrace as I solemnly pledge to provide the leadership that will make this change work” he said.
No one who has witnessed events in Adamawa will have any doubt that leadership is being provided in the state to the good of the people. His commitment at inauguration to strengthening security, reimagining the states economy, repositioning the state’s civil service, overhauling the pension and gratuity scheme to make exit payment of benefits routine, building a robust human capital, building a robust labour – government relationship, caring for the indigent.
Governor Ahmadu Fintiri’s audacious resolve to make Adamawa the best state not just in Nigeria, but in the comity of states everywhere in the world may have sounded preposterous at inauguration, but events in Adamawa since May 29th may have calmed even the fiercest of critics.
In many sense, the Fintiri and Prof Kelatapwa Farauta’s first 100 days has not been any different from the governor’s previous years. It has been headlined by prompt payment of salaries even as he has kept faith with many of his social welfare and agricultural programmes.
Perhaps, the greatest and most celebrated event of this period will be Fintiri’s idea of social connection with his people at their greatest point of need. Whereas many state governors were struggling to make head of the hardship that befell Nigerians following the cessation of fuel subsidy which forced inflation rates to climb to an all time high. With the prices of goods, especially food and basic needs and the cost of transportation skyrocketing.
The people of Adamawa, both public workers and others in the informal sector. As other states were still struggling to articulate the structure and content the Palliatives that could really assuage the suffering of the people, Governor Fintiri opened by approving a 10 thousand Naira salary increase for civil servants.
This was followed by a comprehensive intervention package that cut across all sectors. For farmers, the intervention came in form of highly subsidized and wholly free fertilizers. Without making it too obvious, the plan is to encourage farmers to attack the farming season with vigour and work towards cultivating enough food to service both their subsistent and economic needs.
For the generality of the people of Adamawa, the general palliative package of grains (60,000) 25kg bags of rice/maize and some money went round without a fuss. Then came governor Fintiri’s signature palliative – the procurement of 10 Innoson Luxurious buses at the cost of ₦1,06 billion to be deployed for intra and inter LGA transport. The aim is of course to bring down the cost of transportation for both workers in the formal and informal sectors and generally make life easier.
In the security front, the indigenes of Adamawa state can’t be any safer. The governor has continued to police the state with equanimity and every sense of seriousness. This has made these first 100 days to pass almost without any untoward incident. Farmers have continued to cultivate their lands, just as everyone has been going about their lawful business under an atmosphere of peace. At inauguration, the Governor gave the so-called Shilla cult group two weeks to reform or ship out. That warning has either been heeded or the natural cause of leadership has taken its course. This is because the Shilla cult group has been quiet since inauguration.
The temptation is always to dismiss the man’s wonderful showing since his swearing in as the expectation from one who is not new to the mantle of leadership, but we have seen so called experienced governors fumbling remarkably at the second time of asking. So, no; governor Fintiri is simply cut from a different cloth from others. He has remained steadfast to the social contract he entered with to the people of Adamawa!
The people of Adamawa have seen enough to convince them that the ride ahead will be smoother than ever before. For the first time, there’s a feeling of unity of purpose amongst people of Adamawa origin, especially since governor Fintiri the so called minorities of the state rallied around him before, during and after the election.
Kera writes from Kaduna
