By Aliu Jajirman

The rare feats and accomplishments of His Excellency, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Governor of Kebbi State, remain unparalleled.

Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu

The propeller of his vision and drive is preparation.  He has a knack for success, which his Commissioner for Higher Education attested to, professing that prior to the commencement of the present administration, His Excellency revealed his dream and vision for the state.

Governor Bagudu has a proven background in education and, therefore, knows that higher education is the required avatar that will galvanise his dream and vision, with its products, in terms of human and material resources, the engine room to administer all institutions that will eventually deliver the needed “dividends of democracy,” which hitherto were scarce in the state. So he watered the ministry. He broke all barriers to deepen the ministry and its operations and today, his success story is worth celebrating.

His feats include financing, without default, payment of all bills for Kebbi State indigenes studying abroad, particularly in Sudan, China, India, Turkey, among other countries, even during economic recession, which led to dwindling financial resources. Similarly, the state has been consistently paying, without a default, all registration fees of Kebbi State indigenes in all higher institutions of learning in the country.

To improve on the quality and numerical strength of Kebbi indigenes studying medicine, pharmacy, nursing and medical laboratory, and to alleviate their financial burden as well as giving impetus to the desire to go into those fields, His Excellency approved automatic employment for all 400 level students in those fields, in all higher institutions of the country, placing them on salary GL05.

As a corollary, the state government is in touch with private students desirous of higher education, with consistent and regular financial assistance. Creditably, it is not mandatory, as exist in other climes, that they must on graduation come back and serve their state. Senator Bagudu believes they should be allowed to work in any place they prefer and/or where better opportunities emerge. To him, he is giving the beneficiaries their rights as, according to him, they remain ambassadors and products of the state.

His Excellency’s contribution to the state’s school of nursing remains a watershed in the annals of the school. Before his administration came into power, there was an embargo on the School of Nursing by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria occasioned by the appalling state of infrastructure and dearth of needed manpower in the school. Bagudu addressed those shortcomings by approving needed funds to address the needs of the school. Today, he has completed and furnished a 500-capacity fenced female hostel with beds for the school.

Also, the needed manpower for the institution has been provided. Consequently, the embargo placed on the school was lifted and it is heartwarming to state that in the last qualifying examination conducted by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Kebbi State School of Nursing came first with 86 percent. The school’s graduates and certificate, which were hitherto pariah, are now acceptable nationwide. These feats are indeed unveiling a new dawn for Kebbi State.

• Jajirma is Chairman, NUJ, Kebbi State Council.