Dikko Radda On My Radar Again

Do you remember my piece, ‘Dikko Radda on my Radar’? It was published on the 22nd of January, 2023; about 3 weeks before the 2023 polls, where I introduced you to whom Dikko Radda is. Aside being the APC flagbearer for the Katsina gubernatorial elections, I tried to make you see why Dikko is best for Katsina; afterall they say Katsinan Dikko right? Shortly after, the scary Presidential polls came upon us and from the punitive measures taken by Gov. Bello Masari of Katsina State, in axing some political appointees; it was obvious that a few party men and government officials had worked against the success of the ruling party. Even with the shift in the guber polls date, it came sooner than expected. In Katsina, I had put all my eggs in Radda’s basket and I felt that as an old Northern citadel of learning, Katsina would neatly sort the wheat from the chaff in the issue of its gubernatorial candidates from the different parties. Aside being an APC man, I was lucky that my party had done the needful in Katsina, and did justice by presenting a formidable candidate for the guber polls. His laurels were unmatched, his educational qualifications as well as his job/ career experience were unrivaled. In essence, Katsina needed Dikko ‘once again’.

In the previous piece, we learnt that

Dr. Radda hails from Charanchi local government of Katsina State. He had his primary school education in Radda from 1974-1980. He went on to attend Teacher’s College at Zaria, from 1980-1985. He then attended College of Education in Kafanchan from 1986-1990, where he got his NCE. He was then rigorously trained at the famous Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, ATBU, Bauchi, where he obtained a B-Tech Agric Economics and Extension (Hons), from 1992 to 1996. Two years after, he joined the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he completed his MSc. in Agric Extension and Rural Sociology from 1998 to 2004. He went back to ABU Zaria for another Masters in International Relations and diplomacy. Dr. Radda obtained his PhD in 2015.

His working experience reflects humbling beginnings as a classroom teacher for a good ten years, from 1989 to 1999. He moved to the banking industry, working with FSB from 1999 to 2003. He later became the local government Chairman of Charanchi Local govt. from January 2005 to April 2007. He worked in the National Assembly from 2012 to 2014 as a Senior Legislative Aide. He was also National Welfare Secretary of the APC from June 2014 to July 2015. He later became the Director General, and Chief Executive of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, SMEDAN.

We also learnt that he has had a unique experience with the scourge of banditry and kidnapping in the state as he was one of the first hand victims. His brother died in the hands of kidnappers. Another brother was abducted but with Allah’s favor, he returned home alive, but badly traumatised by the barbarism of the bandits. So having gone through this as a guber candidate in one of the hot-spots of banditry in the North West, Radda I believed was the most equipped, in facing the monster head-on. He was educated, experienced, well trained, and had close encounters with the monster not once, not twice. Who then to better lead the State against the menace of the Katsina society where the rich and the poor are all engulfed by this crisis? I was sure he was the most qualified pick in terms of laurels, and of course the best pick as to; who better to fight banditry than one scarred and jarred by the bandits?

Now the polls have come and gone, and true to type, Katsinawa spoke decisively with a Dr. Radda victory. The wide gap signified the intention of Katsinawa. They were not going to joke with their future and that of generations to come. They wanted someone with a blueprint and a policy document, who could quickly pick Katsina up, and recoup lost time. Lost time spent in managing very insecure cities and ravaged farmlands and hamlets. The Umaru Musa Yaradua Katsina had lost time and space, and they definitely did not need a jamboree style persona, nor a lame duck governor who would be more symbolic than strategic. The choice was a politically savvy choice. Just what Katsina needs at this time.

Dr. Radda is almost done with the celebrations and the felicitations, receiving guests to congratulate him and wish him well. The fine technocrat that he is, Dr. Radda has already inaugurated a panel of experts that are reviewing his strategic policy document for a better Katsina State. The Committee members were chosen on merit, and expertise from their various fields, in an effort to adding value to the original policy manuscript. The Committee is populated by people like Prof. Abubakar Siddique Mohammed, The DG of CEDDERT, Centre for Democratic Development Research and Training at Zangon Shanu, ABU Zaria.

There’s also Prof. Aliyu Dutsinma, and Dr. Faisal U Kaita, an International Fellow of Urban Studies Foundation, Glasgow. Katsinawa are celebrating already, having a whiff of the good to come. Dr. Radda has shown his hand and it is not for play. It is for work and work only. Katsina used to be ahead of Kaduna as a centre of learning. Today, not so. The IGR in Katsina is another lonesome field to work on. I am sure Dr. Radda has all these in his top 5 quantitative performance indicators. His document would have targets, as clear expressions of policy priority, defining what his government wants to do and by when it would be done. No doubt Katsina is in for very interesting times and I see the state in an effort to either compete or complement Kaduna, as one of the leading states in the North, bracing the gap especially with Southern States that are high on IGR ratings, and low on out of school children. I see Umaru Musa Yar’adua University churning out better graduates in the nearest future. With Dr. Dikko Radda, I see so many things. I forsee so many good things for Katsina Insha Allah.