Governor Namadi during the signing of Performance Bond in Government House, Dutse on Tuesday

By Maduabuchi Nmeribeh/Dutse

On Tuesday, January 30, Jigawa State Governor, Mallam Umar Namadi, in his bid and determination to deliver bumper democratic dividends to the people of Jigawa State, and as well, transform the rocky state into a covetous economic hub, signed a bond of performance with Commissioners, Heads of Agencies and Parastatals at Government House, Dutse. He reminded them of the contract and agreement he had with the people of Jigawa State, upon his election on March 18, 2023, and  his swearing-in as the Executive Governor of the State on May 29, 2023.

Governor  Namadi described the fateful day as a very important day,  “in our collective journey as a Government to achieve our shared vision of a greater Jigawa State – where the socio-economic wellbeing of all our citizens, both the present and future generation, is sustainably guaranteed, a prosperous, peaceful, and secured state. He added that himself and all members of the State Executive Council, as well as, other Heads of Government Agencies share a commitment to deliver on their respective mandates. Recalling his promise during his inaugural speech to the citizens of the State, Governor Namadi maintained that, “we hold the mandate for us to steer the affairs of Jigawa State as sacred trust entrusted to us to deliver in a responsive and accountable manner. We see the mandate as sacrosanct and a compact between the Government and the governed for which we all stand obligated to deliver.”

According to him, “A very important step towards upholding and delivering on our commitments as reflected in the 12-Point Agenda and the Inaugural Speech Declarations is to institute a framework that would constantly keep us on track and to be able to assess performance and to hold ourselves accountable. It is precisely for these reasons that all the various commitments we have made have been converted into a result framework with specific performance indicators set to be achieved by the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies across the Government. Today we will be signing an Executive Order and Performance Bonds to give effect to the Performance Measurement Framework that we have instituted. The Executive Order is meant to establish a Results Delivery and  Performance Management Coordination Unit under the Office of the Executive Governor.”

Governor Namadi declared that the Unit will be charged with the responsibility of coordinating and managing a Performance Measurement Tracking System to ensure effective delivery of results. As specified in the Executive Order, he listed some of the functions of the Unit to include: monitoring the delivery of results covered in the Performance Bond to be assessed based on the quarterly scorecard and annual reviews;  developing and managing a comprehensive performance tracking system with Key Performance Indicators, Real-time Dashboard, and periodic spot checks to validate results;  periodic review of the result and performance frameworks to sort out cross-cutting and delivery mandate issues to ensure appropriate accountability for results across and between MDAs.

Governor Namadi further stated: “Beyond establishing the Unit, the primary purpose of the Executive Order is to provide a framework for ensuring Accountability for results delivery by Heads of all Delivery MDAs. Accordingly, the Order has provided that all respective and concerned Executive Heads of MDAs – particularly the Honorable Commissioners, will sign a Performance Bond committing them to deliver on the set targets/results by working to the best of their ability to deliver within the specified timeline and to be held responsible for any unjustified failure in that respect.”

He further stated that the Order has further provided that: for effective monitoring and delivery of results covered in the Performance Bond, a performance measurement system based on quarterly and annual assessment will be instituted;  each Head of MDA will constitute a Delivery Task Team to collaborate with the Unit in carrying out internal monitoring and evaluating progress of the MDA’s deliverables as provided in the Performance Bond; providing accurate and timely data to be fed into the Performance Management Information System to support the production of quarterly and annual scorecards based on which performance would be measured to inform appropriate decisions.

He maintained that: “The Journey of a Thousand Miles begins with the first step. While there may probably be some challenges in the initial process of institutionalizing the Result Delivery and Performance Measurement Tracking System based on signed performance bonds, it is my firm belief that we will eventually get it right. Let there be no apprehension as long as we all work assiduously and conscientiously to deliver results. Gradually, we would aim to achieve a convergence between the Performance Bond Measurement with sector-wide Annual Sector Performance Reviews of the State Comprehensive Development Framework and Medium-term Sector Strategies. This is more so as both the 12-Point Agenda and the Inaugural Speech Declarations have been effectively integrated into State Development Plan, which will be published soon.”

Indeed, Governor Namadi’s administration has recorded impressive giant strides since he assumed office as the Executive Governor of Jigawa State on May 29, 2023. He has keep faith with his campaign promises struggling successfully to deliver on his 12-point agenda.  His administration has also been fair to maintenance of the principles of human rights and the Rule of Law,  introducing policies and programmes based on Social Contract for effective and robust egalitarian society.

On agricultural development, Governor Namadi has recorded successes. His administration is bringing the best globally acceptable agricultural technology, scientific research, and technological innovation across the state by robustly upscaling sustainability in agriculture development and investment by deploying the right investment promotion ideas in mechanized farming techniques with smart-agric policies, formidable initiatives, and development that will ensure all year round food production through irrigation research and strategic partnership with both domestic and international development partners to encourage investment and growth across the state to enhance food sufficiency, employment, and agricultural opportunities across the citizens of Jigawa State.  The health sector is also receiving adequate attention.  Governor Namadi’s administration is making frantic efforts  towards  promoting best practices in the health sector, ensuring even distribution of health facilities across the state through improved and innovative accessible and affordable health care systems for all the good citizens of Jigawa state with the expansion of contributory health scheme for the benefits of all.

Taking cognizance of the fact that information technology remains the in-thing for needed socio-economic development, Governor Namadi has made the sector one of the priorities of his administration. He is ensuring improved skills in information technology, research, and innovation initiatives for sustainable and positive economic growth in Jigawa State. Governor Namadi is ensuring compliance in the emancipation of digital economy, skills, and research purposes and to equally leverage such, he has made information technology a priority for achieving socio-economic development, excellence and sustainability In technology investment promotion, management and effectiveness thereby reclaiming the lost glory of Jigawa State.  Manpower development is not lagging behind in Governor Namadi’s administration. He has ensured sustainability in manpower development across the state. His administration has subscribed to the idea of investing in people by creating a conducive atmosphere for youth empowerment and women employment, with various openings for employment opportunities and productivity through  vocational training, capacity-building, training  and re-training of state civil servants to enhance productivity, create  modern democratic governance skills and place the state on the front pew of economic  excellence, growth, and prosperity across Nigeria and by the extension African continent.

Governor Namadi’s administration is not taking for granted the need to attract local and international investors for socio-economic development of Jigawa State. The Governor has  geared up efforts  towards achieving success in the areas of working hand-in-hand with development partners across the globe to attract and achieve sustainable development goals. Educational development is also receiving adequate attention in Jigawa state  under  Governor Namadi. His administration has achieved excellence and extensive successes and development in improving the systems of Islamic, primary, secondary, and tertiary education across the state by ensuring timely recruitment of additional qualified teachers, sustainable provision of instructional materials and adequate funding to all the  institutions. No wonder both primary, basic and tertiary education are gaining fastly gaining grounds in Jigawa State within the last eight months.

Governor Namadi, singling out himself as the architect of modern Jigawa State has commenced huge projects in the area of physical infrastructure and housing. He has focused his attention with keen interest in the areas of expansion of renewable programmes thereby creating massive development and job opportunities through  sustainable economic growth, sustainable development, and prosperity across the plans of expansion on affordable housing projects, urban development and strengthening best practices of global land management, landscaping, sustainability, fair and acceptable reforms to repositioning the state above her contemporaries across the Federation. Governor  Namadi is also harnessing natural resources for the overall development of Jigawa State. He  has been engineering a lot of economic activities across the state. This sector, indeed, remains one of the cardinal principles, vision, agenda, objectives, and commitment of his administration through the protection of God’s given endowed natural resources such as afforestation and enforce an acceptable standard on global compliance with norms, values on the environmental safeguards protocols.

Transformation of the rural areas into economic hub remains one of the 12-point agenda of Governor Namadi’s administration. This he is doing to discourage rural-urban migration, and more so, taking socio-economic development to the doorsteps of the Jigawa people. Governor Namadi is ensuring adequate road construction across urban and rural areas for easy movement of people, goods and services, including agricultural products which are musty domiciled in the rural communities. He is developing a society with effective transportation of goods and services to connect rural communities, growing the economy through  agriculture, solid minerals value chains, and upscaling opportunities for rural access to infrastructure. Indeed, even though there are security threats in neighboring states of Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto, Jigawa State has remained one of the most secured states in the country. Security of lives and properties of the citizens has remained  one of the the major priorities of Governor Namadi’s administration. As a  passionate leader, Govenor Namadi through adequate support and timely provision of needed logistics to all security agencies in the state has continued to ensure that citizens of Jigawa State sleep with their two eyes closed. His administration is also working towards improving the standards of state investment initiatives, creating confidence in the minds of both local  and international investors. Governor Namadi’s administration  has reviewed and improved on the existing security architecture in Jigawa State. Already, he has built an inclusive community red response team, adopts new technologies, surveillance  which is strengthening security within and across Local Government Areas, in the state. Traditional Rulers, Religious Leaders and Opinion Leaders are being carried along to ensure adequate security of lives and property in the state. Social security is also receiving adequate attention. Governor   Namadi has improved upon  the existing social security arrangements to cover the welfare of pensioners, the poor, the elderly, and vulnerable people across Jigawa state.  The Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) drive in Jigawa State is gradually upping under the administration of Governor Namadi. Governor Namadi-led administration has focused on a sustainable agenda on the present drive by enhancing the IGR with a total focus on the growth of the number of industries through supporting Small and Medium Scale Enterprises’ developmental drives and engagement of professionals and consulting firms to deploy the needed strategies in achieving, at least 40 percent of the State allocation or subventions within the first two years of  his administration.

However, with the successful signing of the  performance bond with members of his cabinet and heads of all government agencies and parastatals, pundits believe that Jigawa State will become the Dubai of Nigeria in no distant time under Governor Namadi.

(Governor Namadi during the signing of Performance Bond in Government House, Dutse on Tuesday)