Nigeria: Jobe’s Version of Next Level

UN photo

By

Abdulyassar Abdulhamid

Next level, consumed and hatched in Kano State, is a political idea intended to trudge up the dividends of democracy to the further level of political consolidation after building “the fundamental framework”.

At this moment when political campaigns and elections are over what is next for politicians and public office holders, since not everyone has the mandate to engage in governmental processes, rather very few are entrusted with power, is to concern themselves with providing welfare and basic necessities that will better the lives of their constituents and prepare them for the future challenges of nation-building.

What our people need at present is societal development based on sustainability and self-sufficiency. This cannot be achieved without changing their mentality by providing them with 21 century knowledge through quality education. Huge investment in agriculture, since it is the mainstay of our economy and human capacity must be developed to reduce dependency and unlock further economic opportunities.

This is what the member House of Representatives representing Tofa, Rimin Gado and Dawakin Tofa constituency, Engineer Abdulkadir Jobe, is doing to develop the human capacity of his constituents. And the first step he has taken is to invest in health, education and provision of opportunities to lay a solid foundation for sustainable prosperity.

Many were surprised at Jobe’s landslide victory at the just concluded 2019 presidential national assembly elections, considering the margin he gave to the opposition. What is the secret? Those who are not in the know will ask. It is this: Jobe has given good representation; he is untiringly delivering the dividends of democracy from door to door and from all indications he will continue to do so.

Many factors have hands in undermining the progress of education in Northern Nigeria, with a United Nations Children Fund’s (UNICEF) report placing the percentage of out-of-school children in Nigeria at 69 percent, with north infamously having the larger proportion. Bearing this in mind, there is the need for collective efforts to emancipate the victims and thereby changing their lives for the better.

To walk the age-long talks of changing these narratives, Engineer Abdulkadir Jobe spearheaded the rehabilitation and construction of schools and furnishing/equipping of classrooms, lavatories, laboratories, libraries, computer rooms, and halls at both secondary and primary levels.

The ongoing construction of blocks at some schools in Rimin Gado that consists of many classrooms is one perfect example of Jobe’s humane approach of taking education to the next level.

This does not come alone. It is a holistic project aimed at improving the standard of education and it comes with adequate infrastructure needed for a modern classroom.

By doing so, what Jobe is indirectly saying is that teaching and learning should be elevated to a much higher level than it is at the moment. Teachers should be recognized and incentivized accordingly. Our children deserve better learning atmosphere and facilities. And the standard has to be raised to the required level, if we were to reach that productive and self-reliant level.

Apart from 79 classrooms he has so far constructed at different schools, almost 2,000 classroom seats have been provided, training of and provision of more than 535 computers for secondary students, UTME candidates and youth organizations, distribution of JAMB forms to 100 qualified candidates from each of the three local government areas, Jobe has constructed a G.S.S at Tofa, Zaid Bin Thabit Islamiyya school at Tofa, Badikko Islamiyya School at Dawakin Tofa, and purchased acres of land for the expansion of GSST, Tofa.

Understanding the links between robust health system, health, wealth and societal well-being, which summarily means that investment in health is an investment in economic development, Jobe swung into action of upgrading the health care system. He constructed Kaburma Hospital and Yunfawa Hospital. He purchased three ambulances for each of the three local government areas of Dawakin Tofa, Tofa and Rimin Gado. He sponsored free eye treatment to over 371 people and 900 fibroid patients on a full scale, including their medical bills both at home and abroad.

He contributed N1,000,000 to the health insurance scheme at Community Clinic, provided tens of hospital beds to Tofa Comprehensive Health Centre, Rimin Gado Comprehensive Health Centre, Dawakin Tofa Comprehensive Health Centre and Tofa Community Health Clinic.

Jobe’s health care revolution, to say the least, is arguably unprecedented. And the truth be told, he is setting a good precedent through his sterling leadership.

Despite the above, Jobe cannot rest. Upon his return from Singapore and having seen eye-to-eye the gigantic projects that would enable the people to fulfill up to 88 percent of their potentialities, if they get quality education and have good health, which are the two major cardinals of his next level agenda, he embarked upon vigorous poverty reduction programmes, in line with the overall global efforts towards lifting the poor out abject penury.

Jobe, first, walked the beat of skill acquisition as a tool for poverty reduction to release the energy of his constituents that will enable them to make maximum contributions to their societal development.

He singlehandedly established two vocational skills acquisition centres: National Youth Development Centre, Dawan Dunawa, Dawakin Tofa Local Government and National Youth Development, Dawan Tsakuwa, Tofa Local Government, to facilitate job creation and economic development.

To begin with, hundreds of people were trained in different skills and given a reasonable start-up capital, and many are to be enrolled. This goes on continuously.

As a means of job creation, 1,850 youth and women from Dawakin Tofa, Tofa and Rimin Gado local government areas were trained in tailoring and given a modern sewing machine each, in addition to 21 commercial three wheelers (Adaidaita sahu), 1,123 motorcycles, and 44 motor cars distributed to different people to aid economic development and ease transportation amongst students.

To encourage women participation in economic development, 700 women benefitted from gridding machine each in Dawakin Tofa Local Government, 650 in Tofa and 650 in Rimin Gado Local Government and 26 grain grinding machines to youth.

To bring a lasting solution to water scarcity especially in the rural areas and aid agricultural production, 815 boreholes were drilled by Jobe at different strategic locations ranging from schools, hospitals, among others; and Rimin Gado and Fadada dams were de-silted.

Agriculture, too, is being window-dressed to achieve large production and assist farmers become self-reliant. Jobe trained farmers in modern farming, empowered them with agricultural inputs, farm implements and irrigation water-pumping machines.

The narratives of Jobe’s human development project, as he aims for his fourth term, cannot be complete without mentioning permanent and pensionable jobs he secured for numerous youth at various federal establishments, road projects he brought to Dwakin Tofa and Rimin Gado and Danguguwa and Kwakwaci Road, transformers and streetlights he has installed.

Jobe’s version of Next Level is to give a good representation and to deliver the dividends of democracy from door to door and thereby developing the human capacity of his people.

Abdulyassar Abdulhamid

Abdulyassar Abdulhamid, Kano based, is graduate of B.A English from Bayero University, Kano. He is a budding writer, social analyst, freelancer at Sunrise Language Practitioner (SLP) and regular contributor to Nigerian dailies. 
His writings have appeared in The Communicator, a magazine published by Kano State Polytechnic and in Dailytrust, The Triumph and The cable newspapers. He has a strong interest in literary theory.