TheCable

BY JUNAIDU USMAN ABUBAKAR

Any leadership that has no direct or indirect bearing on the well-being and welfare of the people that form the basis for which such leadership came into existence is a deviation from the purpose of leadership in its entirety. Over the last three and half years, leadership in Gombe has not met the expectations of the people that those in the leadership seat vowed to protect. With the level of poverty in the state as a result of the misapplication of the state’s resources, it will be catastrophic for the present administration to continue beyond 2023, knowing full well that things may even get worse as it is in the style of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to make life difficult if not unlivable for citizens.

From 2023, all we need in Gombe state is a leader that is compassionate, intelligent, capable, competent and one that has shown that ordinary things could be turned into extraordinary; that is what Muhammad Jibrin Barde (MJB) is known for. For the people of Gombe, it is not just enough to complain about the hardship, this is why we have an election once in four years to ensure that good governance is given a chance while bad governance is discontinued through the ballot. In any democratic setting, the power to change your life as citizens is always in their hands and this is why Gombe people must get involved and participate correctly to ensure that Barde who remains the best available option for hope in Gombe state is elected in 2023 to salvage the situation in the state.

Asides from the fact that Barde is a tested achiever and technocrat who made the impossible possible in the world of banking and other financial business enterprises, he is a good listener and the closest ally to the people of the state than any of the candidates contesting for the governorship seat. For a man who has ingeniously created a platform that has engaged several thousands of persons and impacted the lives and livelihood of thousands of households, there is no better time to hand over Gombe state to such a leader looking at the high unemployment rate in the state than in 2023. 2023 for Gombe is a moment of hope, a fresh start and economic rebirth and Barde is the definition of hope, a new beginning and shared economic prosperity.

With the avalanche of support that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is garnering, there is no doubt that Nigerians are now hungry for the return of PDP and if that happens, it will be more profitable to have the PDP in the state to align with the federal to quicken good governance from all sectors of governance. As it stands today, among all the candidates vying for the top job of governing the state, Barde is the only one who has travelled widely to the nooks and crannies of Gombe communities to engage with the downtrodden and the sidelined citizens. His meeting with them first-hand is not unconnected with his style of listening to those who really wear the shoes so as to ascertain the needs and demands of the people. This move has been applauded by observers of good governance bearing in mind the fact that understanding the nature of challenges is key to finding how best to solve those challenges.

Instead of delegating people to meet with grassroots stakeholders as has been the norm of most leaders in recent times, Barde is breaking that jinx by crisscrossing even the inaccessible villages and listening to the plights of the good people of the state. As his vision, Barde said he would unlock the jewel in the Savannah and ensure a prosperous and peaceful Gombe state where all residents live in dignity, and in an environment that enables them to pursue and fulfil their potential. Having gone around the state several times, Barde knows that the state is blessed with the needed resources to make life meaningful for all citizens but poor leadership in recent times has locked the opportunities that would have made the people of Gombe enjoy the benefits of the resources in their fatherland.

It is in this regard that Barde wants to become the governor of the state to unlock all the opportunities that have been locked by the APC-led administration in the state. Barde is a well-focused leader who has it all planned and documented how he wants to govern Gombe out of the present quagmire that the APC government had brought upon the jewel in the Savannah. About his take on governance, Barde said: “We shall safeguard our treasury and implement a comprehensive approach to efficient management of Gombe state’s resources, characterised by competence, accountability and faithful public service. The government will play a leading role in driving economic activities to stimulate the emergence of a private-sector-led economy by rebuilding and repositioning our public service”.

Barde stated that within 100 days, his administration would inaugurate the state cabinet/executive council, the Gombe State Economic Planning Board, Agency for Rural Development and Commission feasibility studies on priority sectors: agro-processing, mining and solid mineral processing. According to him, the governance strategy for his administration would be anchored on three pillars; public service the rule of law and security. In the words of John Maxwell, the famous American author and leadership coach: “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way,” and by the rich and well-articulated plans of Muhammad Jibrin Barde (MJB) for Gombe in 2023, it shows that he knows the way having succeeded in the banking and business sector. He has now offered himself up for leadership to show the way to good governance and a better standard of living for the good people of Gombe state.

The APC in Gombe state is surprisingly seeking re-election after an abysmal performance that has left Gombe state more indebted with far less infrastructural and developmental evidence to show for the excessive borrowing; this means that a vote for the APC will consolidate their failure and reinstate the greater level of hardship for the people in 2023. As it stands, Gombe needs to be rescued and Barde is the man that will generate the wealth for the people to have an improved standard of living. The time is upon us again, the people of Gombe gave the APC a chance in 2019 but every day afterwards was that of regret and pain, harsh economic and social situations hovering around the state, the dark moments had persisted in all sectors of governance and the people can no longer endure beyond the present limit, people now see the light of escape in Barde and Gombe must come together to do it right by voting MJB in 2023.

Abubakar is the director-general of media for the Atiku-Barde Campaign Management Council, Gombe state