By Abdallah el- Kurebe
This piece is premised on two discussions I had with two politicians and a group of colleagues at separate times. The discussions centred on perceived ‘slow-pace’ with which the new governor of Sokoto state, Aminu Tambuwal is presumed to be working.
“Three weeks after his inauguration as the new leader, he has not appointed members of his cabinet; not even someone to the office of Secretary to the State Government (SSG), an office that is deemed as the ‘engine room’ of any administration,” Dan Illela told me.
The general take by the public is that the people of Sokoto state are now detached from Wamakko administration – because it is gone. It is also that the same people have not felt the impulse of the present administration – and we don’t know why.
If it is true that Tambuwal is snail-speeding, why is he? If he has not made appointments of members of his cabinet, why has he not? If EVEN the SSG (the presumed engine room of any administration), he has not appointed, why has he not? Why have the people of Sokoto not started feeling the impulse of the present administration? Why?
With all sense of reasonability, there are answers to these questions and they are not far-fetched, at least in my view.
The answers are in the hand-over notes to Tambuwal the contents of which you and I do not know. My belief is that he is taking his time to study those notes with a view to knowing from where to start. Is that bad?
Far as I am concerned, power only transmitted from the All Progressive Congress (APC) to APC. It is my belief that we all understudied the transition between the out-gone and the new APC government. Because it was a transition, not so much was seen or heard. Speeches were short, conveying messages of continuity; that followed by the ceremonial handing and receiving notes. And, not known were the contents of the notes. So, how do you know the issues?
Hand-over notes aside, a Transition Committee would have eased up Tambuwal’s job in understanding, at a glance, what he needed to know about the out-gone government. That would have collated problems and prospects and developed an executive summary for him to act upon. There was no such committee.
Tambuwal is just doing that himself, now – inviting officials of one ministry after the other to acquaint himself with all that pertains them. Methinks, the peculiarity of the problems found in the ministries would give him an insight into who to appoint to which ministry or Parastatals. Would he afford ‘lion-speeding’ here?
The body language tilt to the other side of buoyancy, as far my ‘Extra Sensory Perception (ESP) allows, it does not suggest that the governor should not do his best to start connecting Sokoto people to his government.
“But the zeal with which Tambuwal assumed office to work for the people contradicts the ‘noticeable slow of pace’ with which he is threading,” so one of the politicians views it.
Again I think Tambuwal is known to be viral, even then as a federal legislator and most importantly as Speaker of the House of Representatives. We also know him to be meticulous. When he became Speaker in June, he took his time to study the entire House and how it works before he appointed his Aides in December of that year. Six clear months, right? And, when he did, he ensured that square pegs were put in square holes.
The two politicians’ perception, rightly or wrongly, is that Tambuwal’s delay in appointing cabinet members is a product of political intrigues. “The delay is an indication of the fact that they want to force some members of the cabinet on him. They want to force the former SSG on him. Is that right?” one of the politicians asked.
This speculation is rather absurd except if it is true, that such is what is happening. If I were to work on a rather clean slate of reasoning, I would say that Wamakko or any other person for that matter, cannot be a clog on the wheel of a vehicle driven by a driver ‘appointed’ by him.
Although he was central in Tambuwal’s successful election, Wamakko would give the new governor a sizeable amount of freedom to appoint whomever he wishes to whatever position he wishes – especially the position of SSG.
I was probably right when one of Tambuwal’s close associate told me confidently that “the governor is taking his time to look for competent hands that would effectively supervise the ministries and parastatals. This is without interference by anybody.”
As can be seen, the governor has since settled down for business. The other day, he blocked an errant motorist from violating traffic regulations at a roundabout; one other time, he visited the state-owned Specialist Hospital where he noticed blackout, with patients laid outside due to heat; yet the other, he received Bishop Hassan Kukah and pledged to work with the Diocese in the area of healthcare, education and religious harmony.
This is apart from numerous things he has embarked on to deliver good services to the people of Sokoto state.
Whatever it is, people should be more patient. They should allow Tambuwal to strategies on how to take Sokoto to the higher heights.
