by Danjuma katsina
A popular Hausa adage says that: kowa ya tuna bara baiji dadin bana ba. (People who constantly reflect on their fortunes of the previous years are not comfortable with current developments). The dictum may well be true for cross sections of villages and other remote areas of Katsina State who hitherto enjoyed a number of programmes under the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs (since renamed SDGs).
Under the then MDGs in 2007, the following projects were successfully executed across various communities in the state: Construction of 85 solar-powered boreholes, construction and equipping of 19 maternal and children wards in various hospitals, rehabilitation of 12 dispensaries and construction of 22 VIP toilets, all reportedly with the sum of N648 million.
In 2008 the MDGs got N1,836,568,924 and the succeeded in the construction of 870 boreholes, six semi-urban water schemes, construction and equipping of 13 maternal and children wards, construction and equipping of a tuberculosis and leprosy centres, a mortuary and two VVF wards, at Babbar Ruga hospital. Supply of two ambulances and two generators to Babbar Ruga and general hospitals as well as construction of additional 240 latrines across some communities.
In 2011, the office executed the following projects: Construction of 41 state of the art maternal and child health clinics across the state, construction of 41 solar- powered boreholes, supply of the state of the art hospital equipment to 41 maternal and child health clinics, construction of 17 VIP latrines across the state, training of 100 VVF patients in skills acquisition with N50,000 each as startup capital.
These are just a few of the MDGs projects apart from its investment in education and skills acquisitions programmes.
A recent visit to the SDGs office revealed that its fortunes Madu have actually changed for the worse, which perhaps explains the progressive decline in its activities these past years. There appears to no indications of either ongoing or completed MDGs or SDGs projects in recent years.
It becomes imperative to ask the question: What is really happening?
Danjuma katsina is a Reporter and publisher of two online newspapers. Jaridar taskar labarai and The links News which is at www.taskarlabarai.com and www.thelinksnews.com. 08035904408
