INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT: AHMED ALIYU AS A SHOULDER TO CRY ON

INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT: AHMED ALIYU AS A SHOULDER TO CRY ON

 BY AMINU BINJI 

Democracy as enshrined in its tenets encompasses the imperative to leverage people to vote for those they can trust with their futures, yes, futures even if it’s for a span of four or eight years which is the timeline of an elected executive to spend in office. People expect more from politicians that earned their popular trust and confidence. 

The forerunner campaigns that produced the populist administration of Ahmed Aliyu in Sokoto are still graphically alive in our memories. 

The pre-election brouhaha and trepidation needlessly raised by the opposition were rendered inefficacious by the torrent of the goodwill and tremendous support of the people.

 It’s not standpoint of this piece to revisit the numerous booby traps and fabrications erected to water down the election bid of Ahmed Aliyu ,but it may not be discordant to heave a sigh of relief now as those intrigues are now consigned to the dustbin of history. 

Now into the last lap of his first term in office, Ahmed Aliyu has consistently proved himself equal to the mandate; Sokoto is displaying a renewed outlook as a strong testament to his unflagging firmness of purpose to carve a niche for himself in the annals of history as a governor who propelled Sokoto to physical modernity. 

In a nutshell, Sokoto metropolis can now adequately compare well with its contemporaries in terms of aesthetics just within three years of his reinvention drive. 

 As I put article together, 36 urban roads are in the throes of being improved by filling-in and patching  potholes so that the roads are dressed for stress-free use by motorists, cyclists and other road users. 

It would be recalled that during the days of the previous administration, roads and roundabouts in the state capital were in a horrible state of disrepair and neglect. Interestingly and laudably, all those metropolitan roads and roundabouts  were put back in proper shape to the consternation of all in record-breaking first one days in office. 

It’s evidently clear for the world to behold how Ahmed Aliyu has succeeded in generously transforming the state capital into a sort of a tourist point as a result of the various road projects and the accompanying ornamentation adorned with streetlights at night. Infrastructure improvement is a cardinal practice of this administration as recent and recurrent events illustrate.  

The state NYSC Secretariat located at Wamakko constructed twelve years ago is pencilled down for renovation. 

The basic idea behind the NYSC scheme is to promote unity and understanding amongst Nigerians and to raise a generation of young men and women who identify with the ideals of an egalitarian Nigeria-nation. 

It’s therefore of immense value to provide a befitting environment for maximum results. Similarly, the International Conference Centre at Kasarawa that hosts events and activities that showcase Sokoto to the world deserves to be given a proper facelift. 

This administration has done well to have decided to renovate the edifice. 

This administration fully values the culture of maintenance as a means to an end. 

The protocol terminal of the Sultan Abubakar the 3rd International Airport has equally captured the concentration of this administration as it has undertaken to renovate and improve the facility for effective utilisation and provision of conducive ambience for the comfort of travellers.We recall how the State Mass Transport Authority suffered neglect during the days of the past administration, and we also recall with laudation how Ahmed Aliyu turned around the transport authority for the better  by purchasing new buses including salon cars for intra-city service particularly for women. 

Now that the mass transit authority is repositioned, six new buses will be purchased to increase the tally in its fleet, and interestingly, the buses will be purchased from the revenue earnings of the authority. Another giant stride in the direction of infrastructure improvement of this administration, is the purchase of two heavy-duty pay loaders for use by the Ministry of Environment in the discharge of its task of environmental maintenance and ridding the state capital of heaps of refuse.

 It would be recalled how in its first one hundred days in office, this administration was able to clear off heaps and heaps of refuse across various locations in the metropolis that were left without been evacuated by the past administration. 

The perennial scarcity of potable water is not alien to flourishing state capitals like Sokoto. However, owing to political malice, some people have been shouting hoarsely over the water scarcity in some parts of the metropolis which is compounded by the harsh weather condition and the epileptic power supply from Distribution Company. 

My attention was arrested by the determined efforts of the Ahmed Aliyu administration to deal with the problem of water scarcity in the state capital, the massive works being done in that direction especially the drilling of hundreds of  boreholes spread across Sokoto South and North local government areas, rehabilitation and retooling of Gagi, Mana,Tamaje and old Airport water works.

 It’s envisaged that, with this current tempo, the potable water situation in the metropolis particularly in this time of hot weather will improve significantly.

 It’s unmistakably clear that this administration is squarely resolute in stepping up efforts to improve the living standards of the people by significantly improving the available infrastructure and providing new ones. 

The Sokoto central market suffered another inferno that razed thousands of shops years back. 

The past administration was lackadaisical and unenthusiastic about repairing the burnt market.

After the fire disaster, the market became chaotic with traders spilling outside displaying their wares and commodities around the roads by the market.

Even though there were monetary interventions from individuals and  corporate bodies, the market remained in a critical state of disrepair and chaos. Months ago, Ahmed Aliyu took the bull by the horn and awarded massive contracts for the reconstruction of the burnt shops, as I put this write up together, construction work is going on in earnest with storey buildings springing up everywhere in the market as contractors work round the clock to complete their assigned jobs. Little wonder that,  members of the business  community are full of enthusiasm as their shops and business points will soon be ready, and they now call Ahmed Aliyu,  “ a shoulder to cry on”.              

Aminu Binji Contributes from the Desk of Sokoto Liberal Democrats Media Foundation (SOLID)