Letter to Jigawa’s new commissioners

Congratulations and welcome to the court of Dan Modi. I know how difficult it must have been and how many hurdles some of you must have crossed to come this far; the countless protests, petitions, press releases, meetings you have gone through against your nominations, the security investigations/vetting, assembly screening and the waiting and anxiety and all that. But as they say, nothing worthwhile comes easy.

Some of you are coming as first-timers, while others amongst you were inherited from the previous administration of H.E. Alhaji Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar. 

We are now here, that the executive governor of Jigawa State, Malam Umar A. Namadi, had a freer hand in nominating you, though some of you were said to have been imposed on him by the former governor, party and its chieftain. Nevertheless, your choice is measured of his confidence in your ability to perform and his expectations of you must, therefore, be quite high. Which is to say, he has called you not to ‘come and chop’ but to ‘come and work’.

You should work hard. You owe to him and you owe it to us. But I need to hardly remind you that in Dan Modi’s court, all work and no play (read politics) can easily make you an ‘ex’ check this out with some of those who are not on board now. Mix work and politics in equal measures to find a happy balanced journey that can help you to survive all the court intrigues. It’s up to you how you manage it.

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Take this little advice sharpen your political instincts, acquire an additional ear and keep all three to the ground. Keep in good terms with your governor especially those who were alleged to have been imposed on him or inherited from the previous administration. 

My dear honourables, you are joining the government at a most difficult time, a time of public scrutiny, and high expectations, especially in Jigawa State and despair in the land.

It is very glaring that all of you, maybe with the exception of one, I think you’ve reached the ripe age of 50 and above. Please, help Jigawa by getting together and using the benefit of your maturity, experience, passion and accumulated wisdom to devise the best way to remind yourselves the tenure is four years not years. Thank God, some or most of you have been in the system in the state since the 3rd and 4th republics and even Malam Umar was in the 6th republic as a commissioner of finance, 7th republic as the deputy governor and now 8th republic as the chief executive of the state (governor).

You should be committed and honest with Malam. Don’t say ‘he can implement a programme in his second term. Well, yes but who knows? The only sure term he has is this one and you owe it to us and to him to allow him to make the most of it. If not now, when? And if not now maybe never. Yes, let’s make it happen 

Lastly, Malam is our leader and by his own admission also our servant, please pray for him, allow him, support him, encourage him and help him to work for the benefit of Jigawa people (talakawa). Don’t sabotage his effort.

Governor Malam Namadi, should place his council members on probation and give them targets as Kano governor has done and let the members of the cabinet know, in order to evaluate their zeal, passion, commitment and readiness to work for Jigawa people. 

I will conclude my piece with one of the sayings of Stephen R. Covey who said: “The environment you fashion out of your thoughts, your belief, your ideals, and your philosophy is the only climate you will live in. The key is not in spending time, but in investing it.” May God help and guide you aright. Jigawa of my dreams. 

Adamu Muhd Usman wrote from Kafin-Hausa, Jigawa State: [email protected]