Turning Karu into Gold Mine: Governor Doma’s Initiatives
- By Super Admin
- Published 06/9/2010
- News
- Unrated
Nearly everyone who is concerned about the future of Nasarawa State has expressed, even tacitly, the need to harness the rich resources which lie in the Greater Karu Area of the State bordering Nigeria's growing federal capital, Abuja. The concern is understandable in view of the fact that the monthly allocations to states have been dwindling progressively over the past couple of months. This sad development is certainly a wake-up call for states wishing to depend solely on the allocations for their survival to have a re-think. It must be recalled that, while Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim, the state's first administrator did the marvelous and commendable job of laying down the basic facilities and projects for the successful take-off of the state, it is Alhaji Aliyu Akwe Doma who, however, deserves the credit for opening up the communities of Nasarawa State for real development. The crux of this article is certainly not so much about what Dr. Doma's administration has done in the past three years to open the rural areas by connecting nearly all farming communities to metropolitan centres and markets for their products. The attention of stakeholders, friends and well-wishers of Nasarawa State today is on the leadership which has identified the gold-mine and is already harnessing it for the good of the state.
Certainly, not all who see gold recognise it! It is for this reason that all right- thinking people of the state commend Governor Doma for coming up with the initiatives to tap into the abundant resources which lie in the gateway to the capital city. Following the leadership style of Doma, it is easy to acknowledged that the allocation to the state from the federation account is about the lowest compared to others, but he will not accept to compromise the growth and development of the state and the welfare of the people on that account. Like a professional sportsman, Doma realised early in the day that indomitable ideas, skills, stamina and non-obvious creative initiatives will sooner see him through than the state's poor economic base. Doma, having fully assessed the strengths and weaknesses of the state, economically, was left with no choice than to rely on his skills as an experienced administrator by partnering with other tiers of government, international and local NGOs as well as development partners to whom he has paid his counterpart funds. Lest I forget, Doma's Nasarawa state is the most up-to-date in counterpart payment in Nigeria today.
In collaboration with the World Bank, Nasarawa State Government is constructing 15 projects in Karu town to facilitate and ease the process for private developers and investors to come in. These projects include roads, drainages, slaughter slabs, public toilets and bathrooms, boreholes, etc. Some of the projects have been completed; a few others are still ongoing. It is expected that all of these projects would be rested before the end of this year. Also, in the past three years of Doma's administration, not less than 25 hectares of land at the Mararaba area has been developed into sites and services and offered to the public through the Nasarawa Investment and Property Development Company. The area was connected to basic facilities such as roads, water and electricity by the state government.
In collaboration with the federal government and private concern, Nasarawa State has concluded arrangements to construct a 6000-housing unit in Auta-balefi, a community located less than 10-minute drive to Abuja. Not done, Doma in another Public Private Partnership only two months ago, signed an agreement for the construction of 11,450 houses in Kuchikau, a neighbourhood of Auta-balefi. This project, nicknamed Sharp Little City, is already a dream come true.
In demonstration of uncommon commitment and patriotism in the service of the state, Doma, on assumption of office, approved the sum of over one billion naira to offset a bank loan taken by his predecessor to build the Karu International Market. Before Doma came on the scene, there were talks of government's intention to sell off the market to repay the bank. Faced with the decision to throw the big asset to the hawks in the open market or paying off the creditor-bank, thereby retaining it on behalf of the people of Nasarawa State, Gov Doma's administration had no difficulty choosing the latter. There is no doubt that with a permanent National Agricultural Show Ground very close to Auta-balefi, a soccer academy underway in the area and not less than four universities in the neighbourhood with at least one of them, Bingham University, already fully operational, a new, modern city is set to emerge in Nasarawa State.
Meantime, of what worth is an emerging city encumbered by traffic problems? Again, it is Doma to the rescue. Doma, himself, concerned about the difficult traffic situation at the gateway to Abuja, has decided to construct two bye-pass roads to ease traffic flow into and out of the FCT. While one would cut through Auta-balefi to connect to the city of Abuja through Apo village, the second will begin from Gurku village and connect to the city through Maitama District of Abuja. All the strategies evolved by the Alhaji Aliyu Akwe Doma to run the young, rural state of Nasarawa, do not include taking loans to carry out the projects. History is indeed, replete with examples of administrations that have taken huge loans in the guise of carrying out projects only for the people to end up with abandoned projects, fully paid for in advance, and the state left neck-deep in debt. Doma's policy to keep at arms length bank loans with their crippling effect, shows him as a leader with a difference.
Certainly, in terms of peer review, there are a lot to borrow from Doma's strategies of embracing partnerships and of avoiding loans like a plague. The point that must be stressed is that, in spite of Nasarawa's low internally-generated revenue and her very low allocations from the federation account, the overall success of the Doma administration remains one to beat.
• Ohitoto is Nasarawa State's Director of Research and Publications
Certainly, not all who see gold recognise it! It is for this reason that all right- thinking people of the state commend Governor Doma for coming up with the initiatives to tap into the abundant resources which lie in the gateway to the capital city. Following the leadership style of Doma, it is easy to acknowledged that the allocation to the state from the federation account is about the lowest compared to others, but he will not accept to compromise the growth and development of the state and the welfare of the people on that account. Like a professional sportsman, Doma realised early in the day that indomitable ideas, skills, stamina and non-obvious creative initiatives will sooner see him through than the state's poor economic base. Doma, having fully assessed the strengths and weaknesses of the state, economically, was left with no choice than to rely on his skills as an experienced administrator by partnering with other tiers of government, international and local NGOs as well as development partners to whom he has paid his counterpart funds. Lest I forget, Doma's Nasarawa state is the most up-to-date in counterpart payment in Nigeria today.
In collaboration with the World Bank, Nasarawa State Government is constructing 15 projects in Karu town to facilitate and ease the process for private developers and investors to come in. These projects include roads, drainages, slaughter slabs, public toilets and bathrooms, boreholes, etc. Some of the projects have been completed; a few others are still ongoing. It is expected that all of these projects would be rested before the end of this year. Also, in the past three years of Doma's administration, not less than 25 hectares of land at the Mararaba area has been developed into sites and services and offered to the public through the Nasarawa Investment and Property Development Company. The area was connected to basic facilities such as roads, water and electricity by the state government.
In collaboration with the federal government and private concern, Nasarawa State has concluded arrangements to construct a 6000-housing unit in Auta-balefi, a community located less than 10-minute drive to Abuja. Not done, Doma in another Public Private Partnership only two months ago, signed an agreement for the construction of 11,450 houses in Kuchikau, a neighbourhood of Auta-balefi. This project, nicknamed Sharp Little City, is already a dream come true.
In demonstration of uncommon commitment and patriotism in the service of the state, Doma, on assumption of office, approved the sum of over one billion naira to offset a bank loan taken by his predecessor to build the Karu International Market. Before Doma came on the scene, there were talks of government's intention to sell off the market to repay the bank. Faced with the decision to throw the big asset to the hawks in the open market or paying off the creditor-bank, thereby retaining it on behalf of the people of Nasarawa State, Gov Doma's administration had no difficulty choosing the latter. There is no doubt that with a permanent National Agricultural Show Ground very close to Auta-balefi, a soccer academy underway in the area and not less than four universities in the neighbourhood with at least one of them, Bingham University, already fully operational, a new, modern city is set to emerge in Nasarawa State.
Meantime, of what worth is an emerging city encumbered by traffic problems? Again, it is Doma to the rescue. Doma, himself, concerned about the difficult traffic situation at the gateway to Abuja, has decided to construct two bye-pass roads to ease traffic flow into and out of the FCT. While one would cut through Auta-balefi to connect to the city of Abuja through Apo village, the second will begin from Gurku village and connect to the city through Maitama District of Abuja. All the strategies evolved by the Alhaji Aliyu Akwe Doma to run the young, rural state of Nasarawa, do not include taking loans to carry out the projects. History is indeed, replete with examples of administrations that have taken huge loans in the guise of carrying out projects only for the people to end up with abandoned projects, fully paid for in advance, and the state left neck-deep in debt. Doma's policy to keep at arms length bank loans with their crippling effect, shows him as a leader with a difference.
Certainly, in terms of peer review, there are a lot to borrow from Doma's strategies of embracing partnerships and of avoiding loans like a plague. The point that must be stressed is that, in spite of Nasarawa's low internally-generated revenue and her very low allocations from the federation account, the overall success of the Doma administration remains one to beat.
• Ohitoto is Nasarawa State's Director of Research and Publications
