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By Henry Umahi
Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State is matching words with action. On assumption of office in May 2019, he promised a transformation that would harness the vast human potential of the people into attaining and enjoying the dividends of democracy.
Fintiri adopted a holistic approach to tackle the challenges facing the state. He knew that physical infrastructure will drive development, so he placed premium on it. He began by bringing back all the contractors that had abandoned various road projects for one reason or the other. The abandoned roads were completed and new ones constructed. With that masterstroke, he linked far-flung communities and brought government’s presence to some places for the first time.
In 36 months over 340 kilometres of rural roads across the 21 local government areas of Adamawa State were constructed. They include the 8.8 km Sansri rural road (Ganye); Yarima Mayo rural road in Toungo; Parda-Mininga in Fufore; 25km Bazza-ma’a in Michika; 16.9 km Mararaban Dumne, Honbol rural road in Song; 31 km Ndikong rural road in Mayo Belwa; 9.3 km Ngongoshi rural road in Yola South and Kuvu-Gaya rural road in Hong, among others.
He also constructed two flyover bridges with grade interchange routes in the heart of Yola and two-span bridges in Mafia Road.
To protect life and property and make the environment conducive for investment, security received prime attention. Fintiri declared a total war against the dreaded Shilla Boys, kidnappers, robbers and other criminals causing trouble in the state.
That resulted in many criminals being arrested and prosecuted while others fled. He then rejigged the security architecture of the state and launched ‘Operation Farauta,’ a joint operation team comprising the military, police and vigilantes.
He also gave them operational vehicles, motorcycles, security gadgets and other equipment.
In the health sector, the governor recovered the state-owned medical equipment worth millions of naira that were abandoned at the port by previous administrations.
He overhauled the Yola Specialist Hospital, constructed new 60-bed capacity cottage hospitals in four local government areas of the state – Gombi, Shelleng, Lamurde and Yola South. He went ahead to upgraded all the general hospitals in the state and recruited more medical doctors, nurses and other categories of health workers.
Fintiri also did well in rural electrification and water supply, leading to various electrification projects in so many communities, connecting all the local government areas to the national grid. Similarly, water supply schemes were upgraded and solar boreholes provided.
His administration made a giant stride in the education sector. He declared free education from primary to secondary school levels; commenced school feeding programme in public schools across the state; and took over the payment of WAEC and NECO fees for pupils.
He employed more teachers, renovated and built more classroom blocks across the state. Scholarship grants were awarded to over 27,000 students of Adamawa origin in various institutions of higher learning across the country.
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