There comes a time in the history of a people where things change for better either through deliberate effort or by sheer providence or combination of both. There is no doubt that the emergence of Barr. Sunday Marshall Katung as the Senator representing the good people of Kaduna South Senatorial District has evidently began to change our narratives as a people. For many years, the zone remained alienated to so many good things that make life worth living. We never had any serious physical development, no any meaningful stakeholders and citizens engagements, no social fun fare, no rapid response to societal needs and no critical assessment of the region’s potentials and harnessing same. Senator Katung in the last six months has not only redefined the region’s outlook but has practically started driving all key performance indicators that are gradually changing our narratives and gaining back our lost glory and respect as a people.
On assumption of office in June, 2023, Katung vowed to change the narratives by working closely with all critical stakeholders to ensure that the region gets its fair share of every goodies from the national cake. It was not long that the deadly diphtheria disease broke out in his Senatorial District and the Senator quickly moved a motion under order 41 and 51 informing the Senate that about 20 people have died of diphtheria in Kafanchan and Makarfi local government areas of Kaduna State and the Senate immediately ordered the Federal Ministry of Health to, as a matter of urgency, commence immunization of vulnerable Nigerians against the deadly diphtheria disease. To God be the glory, the disease was nipped in the bud.
The Senator is currently sponsoring bills especially on education one of which is for the establishment of University of Applied Sciences, Manchok which if passed into law will significantly improve the standard of education in the region especially science education that is gradually dominating the world at the moment.
The Senator has indeed mastered the art of collaboration, synergy and lobbying by working closely with both the state and the federal government to ensure that what belongs to the region is not diverted to other zones. We have seen how closely he is working with the federal and the state government in trying to woo projects to the zone. That is the number one quality of any elected representative.
Last year our ginger farmers experienced the worst hit ever in history when fungal infection ravaged their ginger farmlands. Worried that the 2023 ginger season in Southern Kaduna has suffered a significant setback due to an outbreak of the fungi pathogens infection destroying over 2,500 hectares of farmlands estimated at about 10 Billion Naira across seven Local Government Areas of southern Kaduna, thereby significantly threatening Nigeria’s position on the world chart of ginger production; the Senator quickly moved a motion to address the issue and also seeks government’s intervention to assist the farmers. During the Christmas period, we saw how the Senator’s team and Federal/State Government Officials were working round the clock to assess the level of damage caused by the fungal infection so that government can provide succour to the farmers.
It was during the same yuletide season late last year that we saw the Senior Legislative Aide to the Senator, Hon. Wilson Iliya Yangye going round with his team to inspect places and locations marked for projects execution. The Senator has in his capacity as a world class lobbyist initiated many projects that will be executed in the region starting from this budget year 2024 and beyond.
In October, 2023, the Senator as a grassroots person that he is, selected over 200 rural farmers comprising mainly of women and youth within his Constituency; they were trained on Agribusiness and each one of them was given N50,000 start-up grant by the Distinguished Senator. This has in no small measure help in alleviating the extreme poverty being experienced by families in our rural communities.
Recently, College of Education Gidan Waya came alive when the Senator installed Solar Lights across the School and some communities within the Senatorial Zone. This and many more are the things the Senator has been doing within this short period as a serving Senator.
For the first time in many years, Southern Kaduna came alive once again during the yuletide where we had for the first time, Southern Kaduna Festival. The maiden edition of Southern Kaduna Festival was possible because the needed synergy and collaboration by our illustrious sons and daughters once again came into play. The Senator as a critical stakeholder played his role and the event was a huge success. For the first time in many years we saw Southern Kaduna big boys who hitherto were not visible came together to celebrate our unity and chart a new course for the region.
As we enter the year 2024, our expectations are high because we know, we have a Senator who is more than capable of meeting our expectations and even surpassing them. We pray for more grace and wisdom upon him and all our elected representatives so that Southern Kaduna will turn to a new hub of opportunities, businesses and productive livelihoods.
Manasseh writes from Gora Bafai, Zangon Kataf LGA, Kaduna State.
8th January, 2024
manastigora@gmail.com
