In a couple of months, the first ever flyover which is a five kilometer stretch would be commissioned in Kano. This would be after almost 50 years since its creation in 1967. In about two years time when he might have left the posh Government House in Kano, the first set of the postgraduates students sponsored on scholarship abroad by his administration, as well as pilots, medical doctors, pharmacists currently studying for degree programmes on the benevolence of the state; etc would be ready to either go on national youth service or already engaged in several sector of the nation’s economy and to swell the workforce in Kano.
All these and much more would be as a result of the foresight and budgetary discipline of the administration of Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. Kwankwaso, who has a royal background and a water engineer first occupied the seat of power in the old pyramid state which is the most populous in the country; between 1999-2003, may have been influence by the massive support he received in the buildup campaign for his second coming to commit his effort to make awesome achievements and leave his footprints in the sand of time, especially for fiscal discipline.
To say that Kwankwaso’s approach to fiscal responsibly has become a reference point for political office holders and the generality of Nigerians in leadership positions due to his insistence for total compliance in the implementation of the currently tagged, ‘Budget of Economic Consolidation and Fiscal Discipline’ for 2013 fiscal year.
This write-up is meant to X-ray the spirit and innovative approach of the governor to introduce budget discipline into governance in Kano in the last two years of his leadership and will take a cursory look at the recent Budget Discipline Perception Index (BDPI) rating by Transparency in Nigeria (TIN), one of the non-Governmental Organization serving as the conscience of the nation which have scored the administration very high. Besides, it is to appreciate his bare-faced mustering of political wherewithal to ensure its success as against the previous administrations which would rather choose to pay lip service to policies and decisions made in the best interest of the populace in support of a few greedy, but influential individuals in the society.
To back my position, I chose to use the report on the Budget Discipline Perception Index by TIN, an affiliate of the globally recognized and respected Transparency International (TI) as reference, as contained on pages 4-5 under the subtitle, ‘How Kano Takes it All’. In it, TIN revealed it assessed the budgeting process and expenditure structure and trend in line with the on-going public expenditure reform by states of the federation, thereby declaring that Kano takes the lead giving the following reasons to back up its decision:
One, it said it based it on issues concerning government expenditure on human capital, where public investment in education and health were identified as parameters in this area, Kano state has the following achievements to compete with any state of the federation.
TIN in the report listed Kwankwaso administration’s sponsorship of 501 graduates in all fields of study, to eleven countries of the world to pursue their second degrees in their respective fields of study, while another 502 graduates are now being processed to go this year 2013. It also mentioned the government’s sponsoring of 100 students to study medicine abroad, 100 youth to study pharmacy abroad, as well as 100 other students to Jordan to be trained as pilots, 100 teachers to China for language classes, 100 youth to study at Crescent University, Abeokuta, Ogun state, 100 youth to study at Bells University of Technology, Otta, Ogun state.
It further listed the administration’s establishment of 44 craft schools for youth empowerment scheme, sponsorship of 25 students to undergo marine engineering training in India and United Kingdom respectively, the introduction of free ante-natal programme in the state hospitals, besides the 600 auxiliary health graduates that were trained to operate patent medicine stores in their respective localities known as Lafiya Jari in local parlance; with each one of them receiving the sum of N150,000 to that effect, among others.
“On the area of youth and women responsive budgeting, Kano state government has the following to show: (a) The above sponsorship and trainings were largely done to youth and women. (b) Training of 1000 women on poultry farming at Tikwui Poultry Institute, Makoda local government. (c) Training of over 1,300 youth who graduated from the Farm Mechanization Institute. (d) Training of 88,000 women that were selected from the 44 local governments areas. And each one of them was given the sum of N10,000 as free working capital, among others. (iii.) In the aspect of housing and urban renewal, the Kano state government has done a lot in this area. Such that: (a) Establishment of 3 new cities, Kwankwasiyya, Amana and Bandirawo cities. (b) The construction of Trailers Parks at Dawanau and Gundutse, that costs about N20 billion. (c) 5 kilometers dualized/electrified roads in the 44 local governments across the state, at about N100 billion. d) Flyover bridge at Kofar Nassarawa among others”, the TIN report hinted.
TIN report on the BDPI also reveals that the, “Budget Discipline Perception Index focuses attention on the planning, implementation, releases and evaluation/monitoring of budget across the 36 states of Nigeria. The Index ranks states in accordance with the perception of budget discipline and fiscal responsibility regime within the states in the public sector.
“It is largely regarded as an indicator that collapses different sources of information about budgeting, budget and budget implementation in line with the due process philosophy; which in essence makes it possible to compare states of the federation.
“The 2012/2013 Index emanates from different assessments that are largely independent, carried out by reputable bodies. Issues that are captured in the assessment includes administrative and political will aspect of budgeting and budget implementation in the 36 states. Other key areas the survey and the assessment critically viewed are issues related to stopping leakages at the implementation stage, commitment of public officials and indeed some lingering questions that interrogate the essential foundations of budget itself.”
TIN believes that, “For clarity and openness purposes, a minimum of two sources were used in each of the states to have a proper and effective assessment. Which simply means that the assessment carried out in each of the state depends largely on the availability of information. Three or four sources of information were used in some states depending on the availability of windows of opportunities.
“It is pertinent to understand that perception of budget process, implementation and evaluation in line with due process, probity, transparency and accountability philosophy is so glaring for all to see and assess. We are talking of physical infrastructures and observable political will of the powers-that-be. If they are there they can easily be identified.”
This writer has decided to take the readers largely into the report by the anti-graft body to really understand the situation properly and the effort the state has put in to achieve the new status as the best state in the recent budget discipline rating.
One thing that is very instructive going by the report is that amongst the top seven states, Kano is the only state governed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and it came first. However, the governor is known not to be at the best relationship with President Goodluck Jonathan, while the remaining states are Action Congress for Democracy (ACN) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). In fact, there is no love lost between both PDP top members. The others are Lagos, an (ACN) state which came in second place, while the only CPC controlled state in the country, Nasarawa is in third position. While Kano scored 9.4 on the index using four surveys, Lagos scored 9.2 and Nasarawa 9.0 using the same number of surveys. Edo (ACN), Ekiti (ACN), Oyo and Ogun, both ACN states followed in that order. If expanded to top ten, Gombe, Kaduna and Delta, all PDP states are also listed in the scoring order.
The Kano state budget findings have shown, opened with a balance of N20 billion, while stopping leakages in implementation and evaluation in line with due process and prudence to enhance zero tolerance on corruption. The Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state rose from N400 million to nearly N2 billion a month with abolition of security votes which consumed N8 billion during the tenureship of the immediate last government. For the first time, a participatory balance budget with capital expenditure of 75 percent and recurrent expenditure of 25 percent must not go unnoticed in the current fiscal year.
For all his effort at re-engineering Kano, inspite of all odds, apart from the TIN rating, Kwankwaso have received over fifty awards and honours, which includes and not restricted to ‘Most Visionary Governor 2012’ by a publication noted for its vitriolic attack on other leaders in the country, but who the Kano state governor have proven to its publishers that he could be different. He got other awards in the areas of education, health, water sanitation, housing, job creation and other sectors. To name some others which he has scooped up due to his enticing policies and programmes, as well as project executions; are, ‘Best Governor for Enterprenuership Studies’ and ‘Best Governor in Poverty Alleviation and Empowerment’ awarded by the apex Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). He has also received a honourary doctorate degree in Political Science and International Relations by Crescent University in Abeokuta, Ogun state. What is more? Kwankwaso won an award at the 9th Abuja International Film Festival and Gala Night which was host in Abuja in the last week of September, 2012. He became the first non professional filmmaker to win an award at the festival.
No doubt, his current tenure in office has just gone past two years of meaningful development made possible by his principle of accountability, transparency and fiscal regime, as well as his focused, courageous, matured approach to deliver democracy dividends for his people.
This piece would however not be complete without saying that for a leader like Kwankwaso who has ensure good governance delivered through zeal and compassion for human capital development and solid projects not to be criticized will be untruth. He receives his fair share of criticisms, but from quarters which has insisted on the statusquo and not ready for reforms. They are those who have been milking the state coffers dry without due recourse to budgetary discipline and due process. So, such criticisms are not unexpected.
Perhaps, Kwankwaso may have surprised himself; because he may have achieved these sterling results beyond his own making. Who knows? Some extraneous spiritual force(s) who believe Kano deserve much more than it is getting from their previous leaders after putting in so much more may be the force propelling him to record these successes and has two more years to go. However, a school of thought equally believes that, the visionary leader operating under what have since become known as the Kwankwasiyya Philosophy may just be in a hurry to etch his name on the golden page where those leaders who found an opportunity to deliver and did just that are mentioned. Audu Bako was one, Abubakar Rimi is another and both are late. And for Kwankwaso who is the only living legend among those that have govern the nation’s most populous state; if it is the handiwork of these extraneous force(s) helping to realize his objectives and that of his people, then; Nigerians would require that same force(s) to propel him for 2015. Nigerians should tap from his benevolence.
