He Left CBN to Serve Katsina; Others Leave Katsina to Serve Themselves—Who Truly Came to Serve? - Lawal Aminu Bala

The people of Katsina State deserve to understand the bigger picture.

Governance is not about who occupies an office today or who leaves it tomorrow. It is about vision, institutions, continuity, public service and the measurable transformation of the lives of citizens.

The administration of Governor Dikko Umar Radda came into office with a defined agenda: to build the future of Katsina State through institutional and public-sector reforms, infrastructure development, inclusive governance, human-capital development and the revitalisation of abandoned public assets and utilities.

In just three years, the administration has pursued an ambitious programme that includes:

• The revitalisation of decades-old abandoned public projects, including the Zobe Water Project, which had remained underutilised for more than three decades.

• The repurposing of Katsina City Mall into an International Medical Centre, through a proposed PPP arrangement with Egyptian investors, with the objective of reducing capital flight arising from medical tourism.

• The revitalisation of Katsina Dubai Market and the development of major weekly markets into modern commercial centres.

• The continuation and expansion of the Katsina Urban Renewal agenda, including the Second Eastern Bypass, 500 Housing Units, extensive dualisation and reconstruction of township roads and the opening of new roads within metropolitan Katsina.

• Urban renewal interventions in Daura, Malumfashi and Funtua, with further phases planned for Dutsinma, Kankia and Mani.

• Massive investment in healthcare—from primary healthcare facilities and ward-level health infrastructure to specialised services, medical emergency management, pharmaceutical supply and advanced diagnostic services.

• The strengthening of specialist healthcare infrastructure, including dialysis, medical imaging and emergency services at Amadi Rimi Specialist Hospital.

• A transition towards renewable energy through the hybridisation of the Lambar Rimi Wind Farm, installation of more than 10,000kW of solar photovoltaic capacity across strategic public institutions, public places and communities, and further approved renewable-energy projects involving institutions such as UMYU and HUK.

And these are only a fraction of the interventions undertaken within three years.

THE REAL QUESTION IS: WHAT IS PUBLIC SERVICE?

When someone leaves a government because they believe another personal or political path serves them better, that is their constitutional right.

But citizens also have the right to ask:

Who came to Government to serve, and who came to be served?

There is an important difference between someone who leaves personal comfort to enter public service and someone who leaves public service when circumstances no longer serve their personal interests.

Consider this:

Someone left the Central Bank of Nigeria—a prestigious and secure institution—to join the Katsina State Government and serve the people of Katsina.

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That decision represents a sacrifice of personal comfort for public responsibility.

It raises a fundamental question:

Who is more committed to serving Katsina—the person who left a comfortable position to serve the State, or the person who leaves State service because the personal benefits no longer align with their expectations?

Ultimately, history will judge everyone by what they contributed, not merely by the office they occupied.

Governor Radda's administration is not perfect—and no government is. But Katsina's transformation should be judged objectively by its vision, policies, projects, institutional reforms and long-term impact, rather than by the movement of individual office holders.

KATSINA MUST COME FIRST

No individual is bigger than Katsina State.

No appointment is bigger than the State.

No personal ambition should be bigger than the collective future of our people.

Those who genuinely believe in building Katsina should support policies and institutions that advance the State—not merely individuals.

Let us support service over self-interest.

Let us support institutions over personalities.

Let us support development over political opportunism.

Let us support the future of Katsina.

The question before every citizen is simple:

Are we building Katsina for the next election—or building Katsina for the next generation?

Katsina must come first.

Lawal Aminu Bala, FCNA, FCCrFA, FNIIE, FCILRM, FIMC, ACTI, CFA, CMC, BDSP, MNIM, PhD

(Gamjin Kankiya)

GM-Katsina State Assets Management Agency (KASAMA)