AS the 2011 elections draw near, one man I don’t envy is  Attahiru Jega, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

After the excitement of his appointment,  Jega has faced some criticisms, notably for his flip-flop on the suitable date for voters registration and ultimately the  general elections. As we all know, Nigerians are hungry for credible elections, and seem impatient with anything or anyone that stands in the way of this crucial goal.

But ultimately Jega and his INEC will have to deliver on their promise of elections Nigerians can be proud of. Or they would be confined to the dustbin of history.

However, the  general elections would not only be a test  for INEC but also for many of our political office holders. This will be especially true if votes count and the shenanigans of the past years  are not replayed.  If it so happens, as we all pray it does,  many of our politicians, especially governors,  will be tested by the fire of credible elections. What would be the result: will their numerous claims of achievements be  purified or burnt to ashes?

One governor who appears to be prepared for this almighty test is Governor Akwe Doma of Nasarawa State. In just about three years, Governor  Doma  has made impact in just about every area of his people’s lives, building roads, schools and other infrastructure. But even more important, providing the platform for Nasarawa  people to become more productive and happier.

Little wonder then that  in 2008 he won the award for the Best Performing Governor in Northern Nigeria. This was no small feat. The judges, no doubt, must have been influenced by Doma’s constructive and purposeful leadership, as well as his concern for the welfare of his people.

Being no ‘paper tiger’, it is unlikely to see Doma’s achievements celebrated in the newspapers. I should say unlike other governors who have mastered the art and science of self-promotion in the media, while their people wonder where the so-called achievements are, Governor Doma is pragmatic and pressed  by the work at hand.

Some of  his uncelebrated accomplishments  include construction of a rural electrification project worth N81.3 million in Ara Local Government Area of the state and the construction of six major roads across the states worth  N16 billion;

He has also made strides in providing water for the people of the state, which over the years was one of the major problems facing Nasarawa, with previous government ignoring the people’s water pain.  Since coming to office in 2007 the Doma government has tackled the problem headlong devoting over N2 billion in his first year  to the challenge and the people are grateful for it.

This is not surprising as Doma hit the ground running and articulated  his vision with a 13- point agenda  which touched on all areas of needs in the state and in just over three years as governor all aspects of this agenda have been extensively dealt with. Small wonder Nasarawa people are happy with Doma and commend him for  his efforts.

For instance, the Lafia Division Unity Forum said of the administration:  “We now see a true commitment as against the rhetoric of the past to genuinely liberate our people from the claw-hold of want, disease and squalor to a haven of prosperity; we now see a resoluteness to rescue our dear and emergent state from the strait of under-development to the enviable status of the five most developed state economies in Nigeria as projected in the Nasarawa State version of the vision 20-2020 programme”.

Also a group of traditional rulers afraid that the state could slip back into the stagnation of the past recently paid a visit to the Governor, urging him to seek re-election. The traditional rulers insist that they now see hope and visionary leadership as compared to the neglect and deprivation of the past.

According to them: “There is no gainsaying that in the last three years, the state has witnessed remarkable improvement in the area of infrastructural, rural and urban development through massive construction of both urban and rural roads, the provision of electricity across the State, improvement in rural, primary and secondary healthcare as well as the provision of educational infrastructure”.

Doma is, however, criticised now and then by a small  section of the opposition who doesn’t see anything good in the Governor. This is not necessarily bad as it will keep him on his toes. But being the democrat that he is, Doma seems to understand this and is not bothered by it.  And he appears committed to record more successes to shut the critics up.

He has already done so among the civil servants in the state, whose spirit is high as the Governor has made good his pledge to provide affordable houses for them.

The project  was flagged off on May 12, 2008 by the Secretary to the Federal Government,  Yayale Ahmed and contains 200 units of three-bedroom bungalows and 300 units of two-bedroom semi-detached bungalows. Chipa Nigeria Limited invested the sum of N1.6 billion in the project .

Mr. Akwu OBAJE is of the Royal family in Kogi State.