Bauchi: Adamu Mu’azu’s history in the gallery of pictures By Gbenga Sodeinde

Dr. Adamu Mu’azu

Martin Luther King, Jr., says “We are not makers of history. We are made by history” and this truly confirmed Alexis de Tocqueville, a great French political thinker and historian, best known for his works Democracy in America and The Old Regime and the Revolution, that “History is a gallery of pictures in which there are few originals and many copies.”

The commitment of the former National Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, Dr. Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu, to the welfare of his people during the time he was the Governor of Bauhi State has proofed that “History is a gallery of pictures in which there are few originals and many copies.”

This has continued to earn the former PDP chairman respect and popularity among his people, both within the country and abroad. Not only that he is popular among his people, but the many people oriented programmes rolled out by Mu’azu then has registered his name in the hearts of his people till today.

In a book titled: “My Tenure report,” published by him, it was on record that during his eight years stint as the Governor of Bauchi State from 1999 to 2007, many landmark achievements were recorded in his name. Among the various ways that the administration empowered women were the provision of free tuition to selected female students, the provision of micro credit loans as well as ensuring equality in employment opportunity. It is a departure from what used to be a general feeling of relegation, dissatisfaction and apathy among the womenfolk despite being half of the population of the state.

The administration, created the Ministry of Tourism and Culture in 2002 with a with view to giving tourism and its twin sister, culture, their rightful place in the economic development of the state in addition to this, the Bauchi State tourism master plan was developed.

Apparently proud of Mu’azu’s achievements, His royal majesty, the late Alake of Egbaland, Oba Oyebade Lipede, described him as a “rare gem who has given political governance its real meaning by making it truly people oriented”.

It is also on record that from 1999 to 2007, the administration constructed over 1000km of intra-state roads, over 230km of urban township roads and 69km of feeder roads. All the roads constructed were of international standard with double coat surface dressing and asphalt overlay while some are of dual capacity.

All these made General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd) to declare: “From 1999, to date, Bauchi State has come a long way; it is one of the few states in the federation that has witnessed rapid transformation.”