Seasoned investment banker and astute businessman Governor Dauda Dare Lawal is in a league of his own. He is a man who believes in himself and does not mind what cynics may say about him. He is a man who is at peace with himself because he is always doing what is right. For this reason, he climbed the ladder of success while in the private service before delving into politics. While many will question his quest to join politics because it’s a game perceived to be dirty, For a cosmopolitan man like Dauda, his close friends and associates still ask him the question of why a well-to-do man with an astounding pedigree will delve into politics as a dirty game. Lawal has always told them that his foray into politics is to correct the wrongs and also rebrand Zamfara State, which is a way he can give back to society. He has often said that because men of valour and more like him shy away from politics, that’s why charlatans will always occupy the position of power and cause great damage to the politics and governance system. Today’s call to service is a result of his quest to make a change and also turn the fortunes of the state around for good using his magic wand and experience. He is that man who wants to take Zamfara from a bandit-riddled zone to a zone where its potential can be unlocked with plenty of economic prosperity.
The seasoned investment banker and billionaire businessman has witnessed huge success in transforming the state within a short time while bringing back quality leadership and also instilling confidence among the people of the state that governance is easy; you just need a committed leader who knows how to lead with passion, something the state lacked in its previous leadership.
When he came into power, he drafted a pragmatic, robust resuscitation plan where the narrative of Zamfara as an insecure state could be changed for good. He also highlighted his primary focus on security, education, agriculture, trade, mining, infrastructural development, vocational training, job creation, and health. Lawal knew that to put the state back on track, it required putting an end to unending banditry and insecurity in the state. As an investment banker, he is aware that no investor or international donor would pick Zamfara as a preferred investment destination because lives and property are not secured. This led to the inauguration of the Zamfara Security Trust Fund, chaired by former Inspector General of Police MD Abubakar, and also the Community Protection Guard security outfit, which aims at ending insecurity through means of flushing state actors fueling insecurity and banditry.
To achieve this, he knows insecurity cannot thrive without the aid of some in-house criminal elements and some opinion leaders within the community who feed on insecurity. He immediately read the riot act to them, the emirs and district heads who were fingered for aiding banditry in their domain, to desist or face stiff sanction. Currently, the insecurity has been reduced to the barest minimum, and the state is currently witnessing a turnaround in fortune with farmers going to farm in peace. He inaugurated the Zamfara youth sanitation programme to reduce indiscriminate littering of dirt across the state. With just a year in office, Lawal has reconstructed schools and roads like Freedom Square to Nasiha Chemist and from Freedom Square to the government house to Lalan-Gada Biyu with street lights, which also empowered farmers with seedlings, fertilisers, mechanised farming equipment, and lots more. He has also flagged off the remodelling of the Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital and the upgrading of primary healthcare centres in the state.
The latest is the flag-off of the Gusau International Airport with the Minister of Aviation, Barr. Festus Keyamo, which will improve commercial and passenger activities in and out of the state. The airport will open the state as a hub for trade, as passengers will no longer land in Sokoto or Katsina using the Gusau Road, which will enhance the logistics of goods and passengers. While many criticise Lawal’s idea of an airport, he has openly disclosed that the airport will open trade, development, and economic prosperity for the state and also unlock potential in other critical sectors. He also disclosed that the airport will be open for activities after two years.