Kano’s Transformation: Civil Society Partnership Under Governor Yusuf.
By Peter Hassan Tijani
In the world of today the image of the public service in the eyes of the public is of very great importance, citizens need to have confidence in the government and the machinery of government. This makes it imperative that people chosen to provide such services that are considered critical to good governance on behalf of the government to the citizens should be people of capacity and integrity.
It is people with such quality that will make the masses perceive services being rendered by government as worthwhile and believable.
To ensure effective service delivery in governance, it is crucial to select individuals who possess the necessary skills, capacity, integrity and accountability. These individuals should be able to deliver services that are tailored to meet the needs of the citizens.
His Excellency Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf understood the importance of carefully harnessing leadership support towards achieving sustainable improvements in service delivery. His Excellency Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is a game changer, he changed the known narrative of only appointing known partisan politicians in governance. His understanding of service delivery dynamics, embracing changes, and understanding leadership qualities, ethics and accountability made him do the unbelievable.
His Excellency’s leadership’s styles, with a focus on servant leadership that reflects to be a key approach to enforcing and executing effective public administration, good governance, achievable policies, and sustainable public service delivery in Kano state transcend the normal and known political practice in Kano State and even Nigeria at large. Governor Abba’s looking out into the civil society sector to pick some civil society activist for appointment in his government has changed the narratives and brought about land mark changes.
Civil Society activists with capacity can make a difference when giving opportunities, this has been practically displayed in Kano State, this new-Normal approach is providing valuable support to government initiatives in policy development, and program implementation, and helping to improving good governance, peace, security and social-economic development in Kano state.
Also civil society organizations (CSOs) and government collaborations is improving public service delivery, strengthen democratic governance, and tackling societal issues through policy advocacy, joint initiatives, and monitoring and feedbacks to government based on mutual understanding and constructive engagement and not a confrontational approach.
These partnerships is facilitating sustainable development, emergency response, and community engagement, this involves CSOs and citizens structured, multi-stakeholder dialogue, such as is being experience through the Ministry of Information and Internal Affairs under Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, the Hon. Commissioner, where CSOs are engaged to contribute to co-designing and implementing government initiatives.
CSOs have witnessed strategic mechanisms for effective collaboration with the state government through the Ministry of Information and Internal Affairs, organizing the ever 1st All CSOs Conference in Kano state and establishing platforms for regular, open discussions to address contentious issues, such as in the issues of phone snatching and other related crimes, issue on Voter education campaigns and Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE) Technical Working Group (TWG) and other insecurity issues among others.
Through the pragmatic efforts of comrade Ibrahim Waiya the Hon Commissioner, the CSOs is having the hope for support to upgrade some CBOs and also to address the regulatory frameworks issues, which rather than help CSOs operations effectively, sometimes restrict CBOs and hinder them from enjoying grants and needed supports. All over the world there is strong encouragement for CSOs and government partnership and collaboration for development which was what gave birth to Open Government Partnership (OGP) initiative.
Civil society and government Collaboration enhances policy development and Advocacy and it provide expertise to shape government policies and legislation.
CSOs have witnessed improved effective service delivery as a result of CSOs, acting as intermediaries, fill gaps in public services, particularly in areas like healthcare, education, peace & security, social cohesion and social services.
In the areas of monitoring and evaluating government projects for transparency and Accountability, CSOs have witnessed remarkable achievements and progress as a result of the capacity of Comrade Nura Iro Maaji, Hon. Commissioner for Public Procurement and Project Monitoring, with the CSOs helping to strengthen democracy by monitoring government projects and actions, ensuring transparency, quality services and promoting accountability.
The role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in achieving sustainable grassroots and citizens driven development cannot be underestimated and studies have shown that CSOs organizations implementing comprehensive civil society training significantly enhanced governance.
The CSOs gives kudos to His Excellency, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf forth sight for strategically appointing our capacity fellow CSOs colleagues and opening up the space for constructive and productive CSOs and Government collaboration for the promotion of democracy, good governance, accountability, peace, security, human rights and justice in Kano State.
