Governor Dikko Umar Radda of Katsina State on Tuesday swore-in members of his cabinet to assist him in piloting the affairs of the state. He charged them to commit themselves to serving the people.
The governor had forwarded names of 20 nominees to members of the Katsina State House of Assembly where they were screened and confirmed for appointment as commissioners.
It was gathered that the names were carefully selected after wide consultations and assessments made by relevant stakeholders of the state, who confirmed them to be proven personalities to deliver the sole mandate of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration in the state.
Interestingly, the swearing-in event conducted at the Peoples’ Square, Government House, Katsina, attracted prominent indigenes of the state; top government officials, the state chief judge, members of the State Assembly, traditional and religious leaders, businessmen as well as thousands of residents of the state.
The governor later assigned portfolios to the commissioners thus: Prof Ahmed Mohammed Bakori – Agriculture and Livestock Development; Ishaq Shehu Dabai – Religious Affairs; Prof Badamasi Lawal – Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs; Dr Nasir Mu’azu Danmusa – Internal Security and Home Affairs; Mallam Bala Salisu Zango – Information and Culture; Prof Abdulhamid Ahmed Mani – Higher, Technical and Vocational Education; Hon Musa Adamu Funtua – Environment; Alhaji Yusuf Rabi’u Jirdede – Youth and Sports Development; Hon Aliyu Lawal Zakari – Rural and Social Development; Hon Bishir Tanimu Gambo – Finance; Barr Fadila Muhammad Dikko – Justice and Attorney General of the state and Hon Hamza Suleiman Faskari – Water Resources.
Others also are Alhaji Isa Muhammad Musa – Special Duties; Engr (Dr) Sani Magaji Ingawa – Works, Housing and Transport; Dr Faisal Umar Kaita – Lands and Physical Planning; Alhaji Bello Husaini Kagara – Budget and Economic Planning; Hon (Dr) Bashir Gambo Saulawa – Health; Hajiya Hadiza Yar’adua-Tuggar – Basic and Secondary Education; Hajiya Zainab Musawa – Women Affairs and Alhaji Adnan Nahabu – Commerce, Trade and Investments.
The event marked a great landmark for the Governor Radda-led administration as political analysts are of the opinion that the governor has assembled capable hands in pursuit of delivering his electioneering promises to the people of the state.
His cabinet is dominated by persons with high educational backgrounds, political experiences and a mixture of young and vibrant individuals with energy ready to render services to the state.
Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony, Governor Radda tasked the commissioners to always remain in their respective ministries and offices and deliver the mandate to the people as he entrusted it to them.
He said the government was aware of the current economic hardship facing Nigerians and is committed to cushioning the effects, adding that the state government is rolling out plans by coming up with palliatives aimed at mitigating the effect of fuel subsidy removal on the lives of the poor.
“It’s a great day for us and the state which also marks 61 days after our inception. I have trusted these people as you have also trusted me.
“We selected them in line with our campaign promises and based on their capacity, qualification and love by their people. We are aware of the current economic hardship facing our people. And we are committed to cushioning the effect of the hardship,” he said
The governor prayed to Allah to lead the newly sworn-in commissioners to discharge their responsibilities, urging the people to be patient with his administration.
He also called on residents to fish out and report informants and suspected bandits among them to authorities for necessary action, pleading with religious leaders to intensify prayers against the menace of banditry in the state.
“We are committed to recruiting and training additional vigilante group members to complement the efforts of security agencies in decimating insecurity in the state.
“We are calling for more support from the residents to deliver on our campaign promises.
“Commissioners must stay in their respective ministries and offices until they are invited by the government for any outing. We must put aside our selfish interests and serve our people,” he stated.
Also, at the inaugural executive council meeting held at the government house, Governor Radda underscored the importance of delivering on the expectations of the citizens. He urged the council members to perceive their appointments as opportunities to serve the people and make meaningful contributions to the growth and development of the state.
He stressed the significance of the executive council as the highest advisory and decision-making body of the state government, adding that the council plays key roles in deliberating and making crucial decisions that impact the welfare of the citizens.
The governor urged the council members to approach their responsibilities with a keen sense of responsibility and integrity to ensure that projects and programmes discussed during council meetings are implemented to yield the utmost benefits to the people.
He urged them to uphold transparency and accountability, and brief the council accurately on the progress of projects and programmes under their respective portfolios.
The governor emphasized the importance of a harmonious working relationship between the council members and their subordinates. He expressed his commitment to an open-door policy, encouraging the council members to engage with him on matters concerning the state’s development.
He concluded by persuading the council members to align with his administration’s vision of “building the future,” as they collectively work towards achieving the intended policies and programmes that would shape the state’s growth trajectory.
Already, pundits have been captivated by the governor’s pragmatic approach and capacity to address issues even as he assembled the best brains into his cabinet. Some have observed that his coming into the state’s political space has attracted a lot of attention within and outside the state.
A resident of the state and executive director of A. A Rano Petroleum Company, Salisu Saidu Mahuta, expressed the optimism that the calibre of persons assembled by the governor would perform creditably. He described them as men with versatile knowledge and proven qualities to change the state in the next two years.
According to him, he foresees an end to insecurity in the troubled part of the state, especially since the governor has embraced the community policing that has empowered traditional leaders in the search for solutions and engaged the communities to form vigilante groups to curtail the menace of banditry in the state.
He also observed the split of the Ministry of Education into two Ministries (Basic/Secondary Education and Higher, Technical Vocational Education) by the current government as evidence of the serious attention it is giving to the education sector.
Mahuta also urged the people to be patient and prayerfully hope for the new administration under Governor Umar Dikko Radda to transform the fortunes of the state into a better and economically viable land.
