Amid controversies surrounding the choice of the envisioned but surrogate commissioners in Bauchi State whose responses are perceived to always be in the affirmative, Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed surprised the controversialists or naysayers when he recently appointed and swore-in what the governor usually talked about as appointing knowledgeable and articulate persons into governance.
However, not only has Sen Bala Mohammed appointed youthful and knowledge-driven persons and academicians who even put into practice what they are impacting to students at the tertiary level, he equally appointed five female commissioners, some of whom pursued doctorate programmes in tandem with the gender affirmation of the Beijing declaration.
The governor has, apart from the mentioned categories of capable lieutenants, appointed into the State Executive Council, some vibrant and versatile youthful politicians, mostly drawn from the private sector who hitherto initiate, articulate and implement policies and programmes at their respective firms, but are also adjudged to implement his ‘Bauchi Project’, which was a developmental plan of action geared to not only fulfill his electioneering campaign promises, but also to implement other laudable policies that could propel the wheels of the socio-economic and political development and growth of the state generally.
Observing the curriculum vitae (CV) of the new young commissioners who were presented during their screening exercise at the state house of assembly, he pointed out that they are qualified to carry out the functions given to them by the governor.
One of such reputable commissioners, Maiwada Bello popularly known as Geo Barrister from Alkaleri local government is the new commissioner of the Ministry of Natural Resources. He was born in 1990.
He attended Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi where he bagged B. Tech in Applied Geology from 2010 to 2015, Government Day Secondary School Alkaleri from 2002 to 2008 and Central Primary School Alkaleri from 1996 to 2002.
Hon Maiwada Bello, before his appointment as commissioner, was Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Geology Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic. Prior to joining ATAP, he had worked as class teacher with Alkaleri LGEA from 2007 to 2010, served his one-year mandatory national service (NYSC) in ATAP from 2016 to 2017 and later part-time lecturer in the Polytechnic from 2017 to 2018.
Then another vibrant youth, a 32-year-old Salisu Mohammed Gamawa from Gamawa LGA in the state, was until his present appointment as commissioner, Ministry of Youths and Sport, a project managing professional, and chairman/CEO GOLGAM Space; chairman Capitol Investments Limited (Real Estate, Construction, Investments) 2021; CEO Value and Bright Limited; Chairman/CEO Value Pen Nigeria Limited; Project Supervisor of Quanarch Nigeria Limited among others.
A product of Project Management Institute, Pennsylvania in USA (2021), Gamawa engages in developing and articulating the firm’s long-term vision, mission, and strategic goals.
Salisu Muhammad Gamawa who was born on July 19, 1991, attended Project Management Institute Pennsylvania (USA) in 2021 to study Project Management; MBA Real Estate, Construction, and Finance Management; Institute of Real Estate and Finance Management Pune India; Master of Science Information Technology; National Open University of Nigeria; graduate of Project Management, British Project Management Academy, Wolverhampton Graduate Conservatory England, as well as Bachelor of Science Physics; University of Abuja, Gwagwalada Abuja, among others.
38-year-old Jamila Muhammed Dahiru is coming back as the new commissioner for Education. She was appointed in the same capacity at the tail-end of the first tenure of the administration following the resignation of the then incumbent, Dr Aliyu Usman Tilde. Jamila who holds BSc Mass Communication from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, was also a lecturer at the varsity’s Department of Mass Communication, and a communication specialist with an NGO in Kaduna; Communication Specialist, USAID Nigeria; State Accountability Transparency and Effectiveness (State2State Activity Gombe Field Office) before her recent appointment. She hails from Toro local government area and was born in 1985.
She graduated from Bayero University Kano with a BSc Mass Communication Second Class Upper in 2009. Jamila also bagged first class Postgraduate Diploma in Education from National Teachers Institute Kaduna in 2013 and M.Sc Mass Communication from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in 2019. She is currently studying for a PhD in Mass Communication at Bayero University, Kano.
Jamila Dahiru has worked for more than seven years as communication expert, more than seven years’ experience in lecturing and research, over six years’ experience working with State Led Accountability Mechanism with particular interest in health, education, water sanitation, BHCF, COVID-19, general finance and performance management, more than 10 years’ experience participating in tracking, assessment, monitoring and evaluation of donor-funded projects, over 10 years’ experience working with local NGOs around public enlightenment, stakeholder engagement and influencing policies in favour of programme beneficiaries in health and education sector, among many other experiences.
She was also communication expert, FCDO Lafiya, a UK Government Support for Health in Nigeria from 2020 to 2021; secretary, Knowledge Management and Communication, Kaduna Maternal Accountability Mechanism from 2016 to 2020; communication advisor, Transparency and Accountability in Totality Initiative from 2020 to 2021 and principal, Sa’idu Abubakar Memorial School, Kaduna from 2014 to 2016.
Also, Hon Hajara Jibrin Gidado from Itas/Gadau local government was born on December 12, 1989. She bagged a Higher National Diploma (HND) from Federal Polytechnic Bauchi in 2020, National Diploma from Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic Bauchi in 2015 and is currently studying for a PGD in Nutrition and Dietetics.
She worked as computer operator at ZIBEH International Academy Jos in 2008, Al-Nasiha Specialist Hospital Jos 2014, fish farmer at Fadama III, Ministry of Agriculture Bauchi State and USAID/Young Political Party Leaders Academy 2018.
She was appointed as commissioner, Ministry of Women Affairs and Child Development and was appointed in the same capacity during the first tenure of the administration.
Dr Yakubu Adamu is also a member of the new State Executive Council in Bauchi State. He hails from Giade LGA of the state. The 43-year-old PhD holder in Management from International University Bamenda in the Republic of Cameroon (2016-2020) had earlier bagged MSc in Finance, Investment and Banking from the same institution (2014-2016).
He also bagged Masters in Business Administration and B.Tech Business Management from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi 2008 to 2013 and 2001 to 2006.
He has 15 years banking experience and is currently working as business development manager at Polaris Bank Limited, Bauchi.
Dr Yakubu Adamu was team lead, Public Sector Northeast of Polaris Bank Limited from 2019 to 2021, business development manager of Skye Bank Plc, Bauchi from 2015 to 2019; head, Branch Retail, Skye Bank Plc, Bauchi from 2012 to 2015, and marketing officer of First City Monument Bank from 2008 to 2012. He is A member of Nigerian Institute of Management (chartered), member Chartered Institute of Economics, member Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria and member Chartered Institute of Loan and Risk Management.
Mahmood Babamaji Abubakar served as the executive chairman of Bauchi local government from 2020 to 2022, deputy chairman of Bauchi local government from 2019 to 2022, senior special assistant on Political Parties from 2011 to 2015, special assistant on Youth to Governor of Bauchi State from 2008 to 2011, assistant marketing officer, Marketing and Sales of Tractors, Implements and Waste Collection Trains, 2005 to 2007. Before this appointment, he was PDP zonal coordinator, Bauchi South Senatorial District.
Muhammed Hamisu Shira, a new commissioner of cooperatives and SMES, substituted his father, Hon Hamisu Mu’azu Shira who served as commissioner for Housing and Environment in the first term of the Kauran Bauchi PDP-led administration. Commissioner Mohammed Shira holds BSc Business Administration from the University of Hertfordshire.
He also attended National Aviation University Kiev Ukraine where he bagged a certificate in Russian Language from 2004 to 2006.
Muhammad Hamisu Shira worked in AHS & Co Limited from 2013 to 2016 and carried out his mandatory service NYSC as a Human Resource Personnel at Extreme Technologies Limited from 2012 to 2014.
The Bauchi State governor therefore deliberately picked those capable hands into the State Executive Council, and the services of the state generally, taking into cognisance his quest for the successful implementation of his ‘Bauchi Project’ conceived during his first tenure; a vastly conceived development plan of action that encompassed every aspect of human development and growth.
The Bauchi Project is a developmental blueprint of the PDP-led administration in the state, under which the 2019-2023 Programme of Action and it’s Medium-Term Plan tackled wide-ranging economic and social challenges, and which has now been reviewed or sharpened by the report of Dr Usman Bugaje-led Technical Transition Committee.
However, it is one thing to appoint a commissioner which is his specific responsibility as a governor, but it is another to give such an appointee the free hands to creditably operate or perform his/her assigned roles.
So, by the understanding of the capabilities of the new public officers, it is the opinion of many political analysts that Bauchi State is lucky to have such an array of brilliant, knowledgeable, plan articulators and even implementers in some aspects, tested and trusted in their various fields or professions, and or versatile politicians that could most formidably initiate and execute policies and programmes that could meet the expectations of the generality of the people.
Charging the new commissioners during the swearing-in ceremony, Governor Bala Mohammed urged them to eschew corrupt tendencies and resist the temptation to abuse their offices by allowing their personal interest to override their official conduct, saying that he would not hesitate to sanction any person found wanting in the discharge of his/her official duties.
“No commissioner is better or more senior than the other. In my government, there is no prime minister, all commissioners are equal. As commissioners, you are the chief executives of your various ministries, and your permanent secretaries who are answerable to you are the accounting officers,” he had said.
The Kauran Bauchi stressed the need for the state commissioners and permanent secretaries to work together towards the attainment of the goals of their ministries and by extension the state in general, and also emphasized the need for mutual understanding and cooperation between them, without which he argued, the desired positive change would be a mirage.
The commissioners were also tasked to take into their minds that the oath of allegiance and office administered on them were not mere formalities that they can take for granted, but a covenant between them and their creator, the breach of which the governor pointed out, will attract divine penalty if not here, surely in the hereafter.
During the epoch-making event which pulled an unprecedented crowd of supporters from far and near across the state, the governor told the new commissioners that they must be guided by knowledge and plan of action which must also be in tandem with global best practices and universally acceptable standards.
The governor also jerked up the number of the commissioners from 20 during his first term to 24 in his second term, unlike during the past successive administrations, especially civilian administrations, when only one commissioner is picked from each of the twenty local government areas of the state.
Senator Bala Mohammed told the new commissioners that, “Each of you will be assigned key performance indicators that could be evaluated on a quarterly basis. They would sign a contract with me to deliver on certain assumptions, to which they must also be accountable.”
He strongly holds the belief that all the new commissioners appointed into the services of the government are knowledgeable people who know the problems and challenges of the state and its people, especially as with regards to communities in their respective areas as, according to him, they were also tested and trusted professionals, technocrats, and dependable politicians who are always together with the grassroots.
Senator Bala therefore expressed the confidence that the new commissioners whom he was said to have wisely chosen, would greatly assist him in discharging the mandate of leadership during his second term in office, borrowing the words of the immediate past governor, Barrister Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar.
It is also in line with his resolve to attain an administration of credibility and high integrity which informed his decision to appoint people of impeccable character, sound knowledge, mostly youths, who were adjudged to be mindful of the oath they took to fear God in all their doings.
He explained that having constituted the Bauchi State Executive Council, which is the highest decision-making body in the state under his chairmanship, their appointments to represent their respective local governments, were largely informed by competence, track records of performance, integrity, patriotism, loyalty and commitment to the core values of his administration which are accountability, probity, transparency, and sense of responsibility.
It is for this reason, the governor categorically stated that the commissioners must justify the confidence reposed in them by giving a good account of themselves and their respective ministries. His administration’s strategic vision, the governor recalled, was developed at the inception of his first term tenure in 2019 to give guidance to the government, as it also guided the State Medium Term Development Plan 2021-2025 as a road map to meet its demands.