Shema’s Midas Touch in print

THE book, Kastina Government Projects (3), is an archive of the programmes and projects executed by the Kastina State Governor, His Excellency, Dr. Ibrahim Shehu Shema between January 2013 and January 2015.

The package is the last edition of three-part publication that chronicles Governor Shema’s stewardship in office. This implies that with this book and reading the other two editions that had been published earlier, any citizens of the state or interested party can have an understanding of the developmental projects and programmes of Shema’s administration within some minutes.

Timex Communications (Nig) Limited under the leadership of the communications and PR expert, Mallam Kabir Dangogo produced the three volumes.

From the title, the book is the third in the series narrating the successes recorded by Shema. So, the 98-page book, which is divided into sections based on thematic areas of social and economic engagements, is highly pictorial in its content though it included some text narration to accompany the pictures. So, after every elucidating picture that vividly tells the success stories recorded in area of efforts, there is a complementary story that gives voice to the projects executed.  This is besides each of the pictures carries a caption.

The pictorial documentation are projects and programmes executed in the area of education, security, information technology, empowerment, sports, healthcare, agriculture, Songhai initiative, modern market, shopping mall, land administration and control, housing, new government house, community development, hajj, transportation, women empowerment, employment, electricity, water projects, road maintenance, environment and lastly the recognitions the governor received from various individuals and associations.

These projects, no doubt, affected every facet of the society, which implies virtually all the citizens in the state feel the impact. And by extension, they are well thoughtout projects.

And the variety of the projects aligned with the opening statement in the forward that “Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema has always maintained that as far as he is concerned, politics is about service to the people.” It is also noted that very few politicians adhere to this concept even if they voice it out at public occasions.

The first sets of projects highlighted in the book are on education and the last section is about the recognitions and awards given to the governor. The sequence of the highlighted projects, no doubt, is good thinking for those who packaged the book as it indirectly preach the message that after every hard work comes reward.

The publication is a handy one for destination marketing besides helping to rightly put the administration of Shema in good perspective.

The idea of a book that chronicles the projects executed by a state governor is a good initiative for any serious state government, especially those not within the southwest states in Nigeria where media attention is low.

And the expectation is that the new administration that will succeed Shema’s on May 29, 2015 will sustain the publication in order to keep record of achievements and celebration of good governance in Katsina State.