“It’s just not possible to celebrate Jigawa and not mention Sule Lamido. For all the undeniable great work done, I celebrate you and our dear state”– Amin S Fulani
Today, I and many like minds, celebrate our dear state, Jigawa, nicknamed “Tarin Allah!”, (a divine formation).
The state, alongside its peers, was created by the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida.
The young Jigawa state’s history, carved out of the Kano state, will not be complete without a due regard to the unmatched footprint of the state’s former governor, Sule Lamido.
Lamido was neither the first nor the last governor of the state, but his near-unblemished 8-year stint has completely transformed the young state into a fully matured and vibrant state, typical of a blossoming territory.
Sule Lamido, among other leaders that governed the state, stands tall due to the selfless service he rendered. His contributions, style, service delivery, how he led with passion and compassion, have today made us all to be proud of our state, unlike before.
No surprise that the fortune and fame of the state turned it’s precarious place in the comity of its peers into a force reckoned by all and sundry and the state’s indigenes began to identify with their motherland without an iota of regret.
Years ago, a friend of mine, Muttaka Gujungu, told me how he never allowed his colleagues at the Kaduna NITEL Office to know that he is from Jigawa state, due to how people at the time were making mockery of the state, until Lamido became governor in 2007. But this is a matter for another day.
From hospitals, to schools, to road construction and facilities in both schools and hospitals, civil service reform, to security of lives and property, etc, Lamido has carved a niche for himself.
Of course, other governors have contributed their quotas in developing the state, just like Lamido, who acknowledged same several times before, but, today, one and many like minds celebrate our state, beat our chests and hold our heads high to Lamido’s immeasurable contributions and rebuilding the state he met in shambles, from “scratch” to stand tall among its peers. Such a milestone can only be achieved if a leader is visionary, focused, determined and prepared to make a difference and bring about the desired and needed change.
It goes without saying that walking into the state’s capital was like an excursion into the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), due to the sterling leadership quality that bore the fruits of infrastructural berth.
Indeed, celebrating the birthday of Jigawa state is akin to celebrating the Yeoman’s job of Lamido in rediscovering the state and putting it on the pedestal of development.
Happy belated 28th birthday, my dear state. May you continue to prosper high and be a good reference point to other states in the country and the world at large.
