On November 5, 2010, the Executive Governor of Kano State, Mallam Shekarau clocks 55 years. He was born on 5th November 1955 at Kurmawa quarters of Kano city, in Kano State . He hails from Giginyu in Nassarawa local government of Kano State.
Shekarau attended Gidan Makama Primary School , Kano from 1961 to 1967 after which he proceeded to Aminu Kano Commercial College for his Secondary Education. After obtaining his West African School Certificate and Royal Society of Arts ( London ) certificate in 1972, he proceeded to Ahmadu Bello University , Zaria from September 1973 to July 1977 to read Mathematics Education. He started his civil career as a Mathematics Teacher at the Government Technical College Wudil, in Kano from 1978 to 1979, after completing his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at Imo State .
Between September 1979 and December 1992, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau served as Principal, Government Day Junior Secondary School, Wudil; Government Secondary School, Hadejia; Government College, Birnin-Kudu; Government Secondary School, Gwammaja and Rumfa College, all in Kano State. Shekarau became a Deputy-Director of Education in-charge of Bichi Zonal Education Area, Kano State from 1992 to 1993, from where he moved to the Ministry of Education Headquarters in Kano State as the Director Planning, Research and Statistics.
He was made Director-General in the Ministry of Education and Youth development, Kano State from 1994 to 1995. He also served as Director-General in the Ministry of Water Resources, Rural and Community Development from 1995 to January 1997 and was later re-deployed to the Education Ministry as its Director-General from January to May 1997. From May 1997 to May 2000, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau was made Permanent Secretary, Administration and General Services Directorate, cabinet office and also served as Permanent Secretary, Civil Service commission, Kano State . He retired voluntarily from the service of Kano State Civil service on 2nd of October 2001, after a brief stop over as a Chief Lecturer (Mathematics) Department of Physical Sciences, Kano State College of Arts, Science and Remedial Studies, Kano from May 2000 to 1st October 2001 .
At the All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary School (ANCOPSS), a professional association of all Secondary Schools Principal in Nigeria , Malam Ibrahim Shekarau rose from being a member in January 1980, to Kano State Acting Secretary in 1981, to Kano State secretary-General in 1982, Kano State President in 1985 to National President from April 1988 to April 1992. Shekarau belongs to various associations amongst which are Members, Mathematical Association of Nigeria (MAN), 1975 to date; Governing Council of Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo, 1990 to 1993; National Task Force on Text Books Production for Primary and Secondary Schools in Nigeria, 1989 t0 1990; International Council on Education for Teaching (ICET), 1991 to date; Board of Trustees, Islamic development Network of Nigeria, 2000 to date; Chairman Parents-Instructors’ association (PIA), Nigerian Military School, Zaria, 1996 to 1998 among many others. He has many academic presentations and won many awards for his various contributions to the progress and development of Kano in particular and Nigeria in general
In 2003, Malam Shekarau joined politics and registered with the All Nigeria’s People’s Party (ANPP) to represent and salvage the interest of the masses. His past record of service is quite clean and unblemished. In the State governorship election conducted on 19th April 2003 , Shekarau defeated the incumbent governor, Alhaji (Dr) Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to emerge the winner. He was sworn in and assumed office as the Executive Governor of Kano State on 29th May 2003 . After his successful completion of his first term in office in 2007, Shekarau contested again in the governorship election held on 14th April 2007 . Against all odds, Shekarau succeeded in demystifying the myth of second term by getting re-elected in 2007; a feat never attained by any past civilian governor in the state since its creation in 1967.
On assumption of office in 2003, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau set out some agendas to achieve in the areas of security, education, housing, water supply, sustainable food-production, human development, health care delivery, economic empowerment, boosting of trade and industry, urban and rural developments, roads and environmental protection. The Shekarau administration did not leave any one in doubt in regards to the realization of these agendas as will be highlighted in this piece. In order to put the record straight, it will not be out of place if we use Governor Shekarau’s birthday to enumerate his fifty five (55) solid achievements for those that are still in darkness or tend to claim that the workaholic governor has not done any thing. These achievements, which will continue to stand the test of time and cannot be easily swept aside, are as follow:
1. Establishment of societal reorientation
2. Initiation of independent Power Plant (IPP) project
3. Rehabilitation of rusted water pipes
4. Rehabilitation of rural and urban roads, leading to urban renewal
5. Establishment of Hajj Commission
6. Promotion of the Islamic legal system, Shari’ah
7. Introduction of dress code in schools
8. Establishment of anti-corruption agency in the state
9. Checking out social corruption through the State Censor’s board
10. Creation of employment opportunity in the civil service
11. Upgrading the status of Malams and Ulamas
12. Rehabilitation of roads in Sabon Gari areas
13. Enhancement of human development drive
14. Provision of adequate fertilizer/subsidy to farmers
15. Rehabilitation of ten rounds about within the metropolis
16. Successful conduct of the local government election in November, 2007
17. None interference of media contents, leading to freedom of expression
18. Rehabilitation of mosques across the state
19. Enhanced the status of traditional rulers and teachers in the state
20. Sponsoring of indigent students abroad for further studies
21. Provision of working tools to security outfits in the state for maintenance of law and order in the state
22. Establishment of Hisbah guards/commission
23. Free feeding for the less privileged
24. Trade conflict resolutions in the state
25. Abolition of hospital cards
26. Establishment of urology centre
27. Sitting of new singer Market
28. Distribution of laptops to secondary teachers and members of the State Government House Press
29. Renovation of General Hospitals in the state
30. Promotion of Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR
31. Hosting the first Kano Business submit
32. Settlement of entitlements of PDP councilors, which the previous administration of PDP refused to pay
33. Sanity to urban planning and management
34. Financially prudent through publication of monthly revenues and expenditures
35. Settlement of heavy outstanding pension to pensioners in the state
36. Inclusion of non-indigenes in his government by appointing three non-indigenes as Special Advisers
37. Employment of medical doctors, nurses and paramedical staff
38. Establishment of women affairs and social welfare ministry
39. Decongestion of prison through review of cases
40. Prompt and regular payments of salaries, pensions and gratuities
41. Renovation of many health centres
42. Initiation of mass-housing scheme with outside experts to undertake
43. Supply of rural electricity to villages
44. Sponsoring patients abroad for medical treatment where the need arises
45. Renovation of Government House to its befitting status
46. Renovation of Director of Press Office after 40 years of negligence
47. Donation of Permanent Orientation Camp to NYSC in the state
48. Accreditation of all the thirteen (13) Academic Programmes of Kano State University of Technology, KSUT
49. provision of basic health equipment, drugs and renovation of many health centres in the state
50. Increase in Students Scholarship
51. Settlement of about N1billion debt inherited from KASCO
52. Establishment of Rural Electrification Management and State Environmental Board
53. Establishment of Project Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate to enhance probity and accountability
54. Distribution of electric transformers to villages
55. Creation of enabling environment for growth of business in the state.
There are other salient but laudable achievements of Shekarau administration, which are too many to mention. However, in order to debunk the usual but unsubstantiated claims of his diabolical critics and pathological foes, we shall stop at the 55 achievements for now.
I wish Governor Shekarau happy birthday and many more happy returns with huge success for the people of Kano State and Nigeria. As he prepares for the 2011 presidential election, we pray for his success so that he can fix Nigeria as quickly as possible. Bravo Shekarau!
Saka Raji Audu writes from Kano and can be reached on his email: sakaraj@yahoo.com
