One key requirement for effective leadership in any given society is the ability of those entrusted with such positions to engender social re-orientation in a sustainable manner that would ensure peace and harmony within such social space.
This quality is in tandem with the essence for putting governmental structures in place, which is to ultimately ensure the enthronement of law and order. In essence, the welfare and wellbeing of the citizens should be the cardinal objective of those in positions of authority.
In addressing this issue, all segments of the populace must be carried along in the task of governance. Those in positions of power must ensure that the needs of citizens in the social strata must be well catered for not minding that these needs vary from person to person.
Every community has its own peculiar social challenges militating against its aspiration to engender peace and amity. What is considered for a place like Ibadan might be different from what obtains in Kano, notwithstanding the fact that the two cities are largely hugely populated.
Being a consummate administrator who has organically risen from the base politically, former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso demonstrated his knowledge of the socio-political terrain of the state, hence he evolved series of programmes and policies that catered for all strata of the Kanawa society.
While at the helm of affairs as the chief executive of the sprawling state, Kwakwanso demonstrated his desire to rework the state towards effective mobilisation of the people towards development and progress. He achieved this by making sure that factors that give rise to and nurture social vices are taken off the fabric of Kano.
Cognisance of the negative impact, which the problem of dislocation in the family value system is wrecking on the state, he initiated many schemes aimed at taming the vices that have hindered the development and growth of the state.
One of the numerous social issues impeding the social wellbeing of the state is that of juvenile delinquencies occasioned by lack of parental guidance. This issue has nurtured the almajiri culture that has further caused a spike in the crime rate in the state.
He identified the chief issue of family dislocation as the prime factor for this hence the need to tackle it by ensuring that adults living in the state appreciate the essence of family value. By this, he has ensured that being the base unit of the society, a functional family system remains the panacea to curbing crime and criminality.
The mass wedding initiatives conducted by Sen. Musa Kwankwaso led administration in Kano was a deliberate policy targeted at reducing social vices within Kano and some northern states.
As a policy, Kwakwanso made sure that thousands of divorcees and widows who were willing to remarry benefited from the initiative and that many of them today are enjoying functional family life in an atmosphere of peace.
An empirical study indeed showed that the policy has reduced crime and criminality since it was introduced to the state when he (Kwakwanso) held sway.
Being the first of its kind, it is a programme where the government directly intervene to integrate the divorcees and widows into the society so that they should be able to live a normal and responsible life in accordance to the society norms and customs.
Although certain standards and conditions were set which are to be met by intending bride grooms through Hisbah board, many of the rules are not too prohibitive.
The most interesting aspect of this laudable policy is that the government provided some basic support to the widows and bride grooms that met the conditions set down by the Hisbah board including security agencies and other relevant authorities.
Government provides assistance such as payment of dowry, accommodation, furniture and temporary feedings and trading funds to the successful couples that pass through the screening and consent established between the intending couples.
The menace of divorce is very prevalent in the northern States and which is basically responsible for broken homes which has led to many social vices. The success of this policy in Kano under the Kwankwaso led administration if copied by governments across the states of the North would no doubt help in no small way to address the issue of insecurity in the region.
This is because most of these divorcees and widow venture into immoral acts inimical to the society norms such as prostitution, drugs, rubbery etc. They constitute a major disturbance in both religion, economic and social interaction in the society.
Sen Kwankwaso's social reorientation and integration policy has contributed to the reforms and the little peace being enjoyed today in Kano and some northern states and which has brought sanity and peace into the region's social and economic life of the society.
It's time northern state governors look into the Kwankwaso template to help arrest the already messy situation in the region.
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