Governor Dauda Lawal’s administration has exceeded expectations and achieved an impressive record in the last 100 days.
The previous government’s irresponsible and incompetent actions have left Governor Lawal with minimal resources, yet he successfully achieved a lot.
Below are some of the Zamfara State Government’s achievements under Governor Dauda Lawal’s leadership.
1. RESTORATION OF WATER IN ZAMFARA CAPITAL
For the past three years, the capital of Zamfara State, Gusau, has been severely afflicted by a dire water shortage. With no access to a portable water source, people had no choice but to use nearby rivers for all their essential requirements, including cooking and drinking.
Under the able leadership and stewardship of Governor Dauda Lawal, the rescue mission has accomplished the remarkable feat of resolving the issue of water scarcity in the State Capital in just 14 days of assumption in office.
2. PAYMENT OF WITHHELD WORKERS’ SALARIES
The past administration had intentionally neglected to pay workers for four months, leaving them in bad shape. As a passionate leader, Governor Dauda Lawal quickly sourced funds with which he paid off the backlog of four months’ salaries. These include the withheld salaries of local government workers and primary school teachers.
3. RESTRUCTURING
Immediately after taking office, Governor Dauda Lawal took decisive action to restructure the State’s Civil Service.
– He reduced the number of Ministries from 28 to 16.
– He reduced the number of Permanent Secretaries from 48 to 23.
– He reduced the Directorates from 35, to 1.
– He reduced the number of Boards from 17 to 13.
– He reduced the number of Commissions from 14 to 10.
4. URBAN RENEWAL PROJECT
On the 18th of August, 2023, Governor Dauda Lawal flagged off phase one of the road construction that marks the commencement of the Urban Renewal Project in the Zamfara State Capital.
The Urban Renewal project’s first phase involves reconstructing and improving 3.5km of township roads in Gusau, the State capital, and enhancing the drainage system.
The construction awarded to a construction giant, Ronchess Nigeria Limited, has covered Bello Barau Roundabout – Old Market Road, Bello Barau Roundabout – Central Police Station Road, Bello Barau Roundabout – Government House Road, and Kwanar Yan Keke – Emir’s Palace – Tankin Ruwa Road.
The project has made significant progress in just 20 days. The drainages have been completed, along with essential earthworks, including the laying of laterite. The box culvert has been levelled, and the stone base course has been installed. It is worth noting that this project is the first of its kind in the history of Zamfara.
The construction firm, Ronchess Nigeria Limited, has provided 200 Zamfara artisans with jobs, as requested by the Governor.
– Last month, Governor Lawal inaugurated the Zamfara Youth Sanitation Programme (ZAYOSAP), which provided jobs for 1,500 youths in the capital. ZAYOSAP is an integral part of the urban renewal project to maintain a hygienic, clean, and safer State Capital, Gusau and its environs. The initiative is gaining momentum and has already been successfully taken to other local governments.
– At the last council meeting, Governor Dauda Lawal approved the renovation of the JB Yakubu Secretariat. The Secretariat, which houses the office of the Secretary to Government and over ten Ministries, has been dilapidated for years.
5. SECURITY
In his commitment to curb the lingering insecurity, Governor Dauda Lawal has approved the recruitment of civilian JTF in all local government areas of the State.
300 civilian JTF would be recruited in each local government area of the State. The recruits would undergo rigorous physical training that would prepare them to assist the security agencies with actionable intelligence to combat insecurity.
– There is also regular ongoing patrol across the volatile roads across the State.
– Governor Lawal took the initiative to repair dilapidated patrol vehicles to improve the security presence throughout the state.
6. EDUCATION
– WAEC And NECO
It is on record that for the past three years, students in Zamfara State have been unable to sit for the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and Senior Secondary Certificate of Education (SSCE) due to unpaid fees. Governor Lawal intervened and held talks with the management of WAEC and NECO, which allowed secondary school students to take the last NECO examination in Zamfara State. The government and the examination bodies have concluded how to settle the debt amounting to 1.6 billion Naira for NECO and 1.8 billion Naira for WAEC.
– School Of Health Technology, Tsafe
Governor Dauda Lawal constructed additional classrooms and renovated the Exams Hall in the School of Health Technology, Tsafe.
– Construction Of Classrooms
At the Zamfara State Executive Council Meeting held on the 4th of September 2023, Governor Dauda Lawal approved the construction, renovation and furnishing of classrooms in over 200 schools across the 14 local government areas of Zamfara.
The Governor has approved the construction, renovation and furnishing of 49 schools in Gusau, 11 in Anka, 15 in Bakura, 8 in Bukkuyum, 14 in Birnin Magaji, 8 in Bungudu, 8 in Gummi, 19 in Kaura, 8 in Maru, 11 in Maradun, 42 in Shinkafi, 8 Talata Mafara, 27 in Tsafe, and 11 in Zurmi local government.
– School Feeding
Governor Dauda Lawal has revived school feeding in 10 Senior boarding schools across Zamfara State to commence from the 2023/2024 Academic Session.
– Zamfara State Adolescent Girls Initiative For Learning And Empowerment Additional Financing (AGILE AF)
Zamfara State Government, under the leadership of His Excellently Dauda Lawal, had collaborated with the World Bank to empower Young Girls in and out of Primary and Junior Secondary Schools.
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, in collaboration with other ministries, has since commenced implementing the AGILE program.
His Excellently, the Executive Governor has approved and released 150 billion for the project as State counterpart funding.
Some of the key achievements of the projects are:
· 150 billion counterpart funding approved and released for the project.
· The state government had provided office accommodation and funds for furnishing.
· State implementation committee has conducted NEEDS ASSESSMENT in 123 selected schools in phase 1.
* Advocacy visits to critical stakeholders have been conducted
* State steering committee has been inaugurated
* An additional 40 Islamiyyah (IQS) schools have been assessed
* Many out-of-school girls will be reached and enrolled, and stipends will be given through conditional cash transfers to retain them in schools.
6. HEALTH
In 100 days in office, Governor Dauda Lawal has organised a Special Modified Medical Outreach Programme to address critical healthcare needs and improve people’s quality of life.
The organised Medical Outreach provided free medical services to people with cases of cataract extraction, groin swellings (hernias, hydroceles), vesicovaginal fistula repairs (VVF), and health education.
This is the first time such a thing has happened in the history of Zamfara that the State Government is engaging in a free medical outreach that covers such critical areas; the ongoing modified outreach utilizes tele-screening for patients from rural and semi-urban areas to provide specialist care to people in need.
Out of compassion, Governor Dauda Lawal widened the programme’s scope to cover all the 14 local government areas of the State.
Governor Dauda Lawal has also commenced renovating and furnishing hospitals across the State.
In most of the hospitals, unlike before, there is an ongoing massive supply of drugs and medicines.
Governor Dauda Lawal constructed a solar borehole with an overhead tank in General Hospital Bakura.
8. OTHER INTERVENTIONS
– Key landmark achievements of the Dauda Lawal government in 100 days in the ACReSAL programme and Ministry of Environment Ecosystem include awarding the contract to build five solar-powered boreholes to five different communities in the most needed areas in the State.
– Governor Lawal also approved building five Earth Dams across five local government areas. The primary aim of these dams is to provide portable drinking water for people and animals and irrigation services to create job opportunities for young people.
– Government provided standard office accommodation to the ACReSAL office in Zamfara State. They were in rented accommodation before the arrival of the present administration.
– Governor Dauda Lawal negotiated with the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KAEDCO) to restore electricity supply to all Government agencies. The previous administration’s over 1.2 billion Naira debt resulted in a supply cut-off for months.
– Governor Dauda Lawal signed an agreement with several development partners, including UNICEF, the World Bank, and Melinda Gates Foundation. As a result of the previous administration’s recklessness, these partners have severed ties with the State.
– Governor Dauda Lawal settled the ground rent for the Governors’ Lodge in Abuja and Kaduna. The debt for the Abuja lodge was cleared, while half of the debt for the Kaduna lodge was paid and will be fully settled within two months in staggered payments.
– Governor Dauda Lawal has constructed a borehole in the orphanage situated in Gusau.
– His Excellency also constructed additional blocks of room in the Gusau orphanage.
These are just a few achievements of His Excellency, Governor Dauda Lawal, in his 100 days in office.
