by Alex Augustine Babajimeta
Can Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (AUF) of Gulak, Madagali local government area of Adamawa state be considered A MASTER STRATEGIST ?..what a question.
Born on October 27th, 1967,in Gulak ,Madagali of Adamawa state, he attended both primary and secondary schools in Gulak before graduating from the University of Maiduguri as a historian.
In 2004 he obtained a post graduate diploma in POLICY AND STRATEGIC STUDIES from same University.
By 2006 he had warmed his way into the hearts of his people and in
2007, was elected into the Adamawa State House Of Assembly, representing the good people of Madagali constituency.
His antecedents of goodwill earned him resounding re-election in 2011.
AUF’s strategic positioning and interactions as an astute law maker and a holder of several leadership positions in house committees led to his being recognised and elected as the speaker of the house, an esteemed and highly coveted position he held until 2015.
He was also the Governor of Adamawa state TWICE in acting capacity.
2014 he strategised the emancipation of the Adamawa state people from the nepotistic clutches of family and friends ,which led to the impeachment of Admiral Murtala H. Nyako rtd.
That year AUF acted as Governor for three months before handing over to Barr. Bala J. Ngillari, after kick-starting the rejuvination of the Adamawa project.
During that brief stay, roads constructions with streets and traffic lightings became synonymous with AUF, which inspired and forced the consequent administration of Gov, Umar Bindo to follow suit in 2015
His 90-days stay in the helms of affairs of Adamawa state that year endeared governor Fintiri to the people of Adamawa state , and they yearned for his return. This was confirmed by his election as substantive executive governor of Adamawa state ,sacking the lame Bindo administration in March 2019.
A seasoned tactician ,Gov. AUF was able to collaborate with, and bring together the kingpins of all divides in the quest to make Adamawa great again ,and they endorsed him to govern us during the 2019 inconclusive rerun elections.
But H.E AUF inherited a state in comatose ,with a weakened economy due to corruption ,very low internally generated revenue base, dwindling federal allocations, back logs of unpaid salaries and entitlements of civil servants ,bloated work force and fraud-riddled workers enrollment and payrolls , in addition to uneven and meagre infrastructural development projects across the entire 21 local government areas .
Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri was confronted by a highly depressed and suffering populace.
But by Dec 2020 , a little less than two years into his first term in office ,AUF has tactically and strategically taken the bull by its horn changing the narrative from negative to positive .
“indeed good strategy does not necessarily come from experts in the field but can be generated by imperfect human beings who work in imperfect organisations under conditions of great ambiguity”
Essentially Gov. AUF represents a one-man strategy bridge connecting the gap between past achievements and future aspirations of the electorate and masses in terms of progress and development of Adamawa state
This is evident in his well-packaged 11-point Agenda for a new Adamawa state and how he is going about fulfilling them, point by point.
Utilising meagre resources to leverage his goals ,H.E Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri has been able to show mastery in the art of governance , as someone who is skilled in planning the best way to gain advantage or to achieve success.
Today the polity is at rest ,even under corvid 19 constraints Gov, Fintiri pays workers salaries when due;
he is carrying out a plethora of unprecedented road projects in
the entire 21 local government areas of Adamawa state ;
schools are being rehabilitated or built;
farmers are are receiving assistance to ensure better harvest;
insecurity issues are being being addressed earnestly ;
youths and women empowerment are getting boosted;
employment of health workers and teachers are ongoing;
The noisy wailing voice of the opposition are being muted albeit reluctantly ..and recently bamboozled by AUFs master stroke order for a end-of -the month stakeholders meeting in all in the 21 LGAs.
I humbly suggest that this be replicated at ward level too.
Surely there is the touch of a master strategist in his excellency governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri
*this is my personal opinion but was inspired by the posture and write-ups of Mr Solomon Kumangar , the quintessential Director General ,Media & communications to the executive governor H.E Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri
