By: Mayen Etim
KATSINA, North-West, Nigeria – The Katsina State Governor, Dr Dikko Radda, has been described as a democrat for giving true definition of democracy through his governance by not doing things single handedly but seeks inputs from the people he leads.
The description was made by a critical political stakeholder and former chairman of Kafur Local Government Area Council, Alhaji Nafiu Lawal Kuringafa at the launching of Katsina State Community Development Programme (KSCDP), on Sunday, September 1 in Funtua Local Government Area of the state.
According to him, this is the first time in the history of the State an event of this nature would take place, where a sitting governor came to the people, interact with them from a zone to give his score card telling them what he has done so far, and wants to know from them what they want him to further do through their inputs.
“We really appreciate the actions of Gov Radda. Everyone here is an indigene from Funtua Senatorial Zone which comprise of 11 Local Government Areas,” said Kuringafa.
The stakeholder wants the people whether Christian or Muslim not to only support the governor, but to add prayers to their support for the governor to succeed, as according to him, “If Mallam Dikko Radda succeeds, the people succeed.”
In the same vein, some widows from Nasarsawa Ward of Funtua LGA, led by the Women Leader, Hajiya Fatima Mohammed, eulogized Mallam Radda for the same reason earlier buttressed by Alhaji Kuringafa.
According to the Women Leader, they were forced into widowhood by the activities of bandits and kidnappers in their communities, “All of us here: Talatu Muhammad, Hauwa Haruna, Maryam Alhassan, Amina Aminu, and 23-year-old Nusaiba Nura (the youngest), are widows with many orphans to cater for,” she said.
The women praised Gov Radda for the paradigm shift introduced to governance in the state, especially where the governor wants citizens to actively contribute their inputs.
While noting that such approach to governance has never been seen in the state, the widows want the Government to empower the women the more to enable them cater for their orphans, and thereby secure their future.
Similarly, a civil servant in the education sector, an indigene of Dandume LGA, Sanusi Abdultalib, commended Gov Dikko Radda for the new innovation in governance, saying, it was a welcome development and being the first to have done that.
“We have never experienced such programme, whereby a sitting governor will come and interact with citizens, asked them about their needs, desires and the way forward,” Abdultalib noted.
While noting that the Government is doing it’s best in the area of security, Abdultalib called on the people to give their maximum cooperation to the Government as security issue is a collective responsibility.
Corroborating Abdultalib, a youth from Funtua community, Tasiu Aminu, said the problem at the moment in the communities is security, which he said has been compounded by informants from the communities.
Aminu said: “One thing I know is that Gov Dikko Radda is trying his best with the issue of security. We’re not talking about food, or water, but security. Insecurity prevails in our communities because of informants from the communities who commits such abominable acts.”
Aminu however, cautioned fellow youth to desist from such dangerous ventures that has brought untold hardships, destruction, left so many women widows and children orphans, grounded the economy of the communities and the state in general, rather the youth should tow the path of building peace, for the development of their communities because without peace, no meaningful development can be attain in any nation.