The governor has refocused the state towards achieving real human and physical development to the extent that the state has gradually become a reference point in terms of developmental projects throughout the country. Interestingly, this is happening when Madobi and its neighbouring local government areas (Bebeji, Kiru, Karaye etc) are suffering from the lack of motorable road network to links them to the state capital. This writer stands to be corrected, but Yako-Madobi Road is the worst rural road in the entire Kano State.
The road, which stretches to about 70 kilometers, has been abandoned for almost 15 years of democratic rule in the country. Yako-Madobi equally suffered negligence during the eight-year tenure of Malam Ibrahim Shekarau as executive governor of the state. In particular, Shekarau’s administration ignored several appeals from many quarters to reconstruct the road, most notably, a call from His Royal Highness, the late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Dr. Ado Bayero, at a Qur’anic Graduation Ceremony of Government Tahfeezul Qur’an Secondary School, Kiru. In all these brazen acts of negligence, Kwankwaso’s attitude towards the road is more surprising because of three reasons.
First, as far as education and physical infrastructure are concerned, Kwankwaso has already written his name in gold. Second, the governor is an indigene of the area (he actually hails from Kwankwaso town of Madobi Local Government). It is, therefore, amazing if there is any governor in the country who overlooked his people without accessible road to the state capital. Lastly, during the 2007 local government poll in the state, elections were not conducted in Madobi, Kiru and Kabo local governments because the people of the area were solidly behind Kwankwaso and could not allow any manipulation to take place. The elections were cancelled and sole administrators were appointed in the three be local government areas. Kwankwaso, then a defence minister, visited the area, in particular, Kiru, where he acknowledged the doggedness and loyalty of the people towards his party and lamented that the road was abandoned by the Shekarau administration because of political reasons.
On June 7, 2012, Daily Trust published my letter in which I made a special appeal to the governor to consider his fresh spirit and commitment in the second tenure as also an opportunity to help us out of the ugly situation. So far, only about six-kilometer work is taking place on the road (from the state capital to Challawa Bridge, very close to the point that links the road to Kwankwaso town). Sadly, the remaining part of the road is deteriorating by the day and there are no serious indications of any change in the near future. At the risk of over generalizing, permit me to say that it would very difficult to find any committed bus or taxi driver who will risk plying the road on commercial purpose.
As the governor’s tenure gradually moves towards an end, history also beckons on Kwankwaso to swiftly step in and address this ugly situation. This is because if nothing is done, history would remember his tenure as the best regime that beautified the city with good road network while at the same time forgot some of the people who stood by the administration under the sun and in the rain.
At the moment, there are truckloads of proud moments that Kwankwaso will love to remember while outside office in the coming days. Similarly, there should be just a few low moments he will hate to remember about his eventful yet impactful second tenure as Kano State Governor. I hope Yako-Madobi road will not be one of them.
Gambo Nababa, Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano ([email protected])
