With the presentation of youth performance in Governor Bello Matawalle's administration for just three appointees, the ill-will of those who wish Zamfara no good manifest even more clearly. Their hearts burn with excruciating pain that youth are given the political arena by His Excellency Governor Bello Matawalle to play their part in salvaging Zamfara from years of misgovernance. They retreated into the holes of silence having lost words.
Today I am giving them more headache by unraveling the excellent performance of one more appointee. The sledgehammer will be stroke on the heads of the enemies of progress one at a time.
Zamfara Investment and Property Development Company (MD Anas Hamisu Lawal)
Governor Bello Matawalle entrusted the custody of Zamfara Investment Company to an intellectual youth, MD Anas Hamisu who met a Company in a state of dilapidation in all ramification. Office accommodation and furniture were in a state of ruin for a company called "Investment" but with efficient leadership of Jarumin Gusau, Investment Company now reflects a true definition of a development finance Institution. New set of furniture, new architecture of the working place, TV sets to connect to the world, well-furnished office to mention but a few.
In order not run the company in a haphazard way, the MD drawing support from experienced stakeholders designed blueprint in order to create excellent structural and operational guidelines for effective and efficient service delivery. Having understood the lack of public awareness on the investment company, he first started to bring to the public space the true meaning of Investment Company. This he did through creating awareness of the programs and activities of the Investment Company which was incorporated since 2000 but up to the time he came on board, had no functional website nor even email that brings to the world the investment potentials found in Zamfara State.
The staffers of the Investment Company were analogue and needed capacity building to boost productivity. The MD organized a 5 day Computer Appreciations Workshop for all staffers of grade level 6 and above of the Company. The Company has only one functioning Desktop apart from that of the MD, but today after the computer appreciation training, all Directors and their Deputies have laptops and desktops respectively. Internet access was equally provided within the Company premises.
As the name "Zamfara State Investment Company" was not in the public domain as such its contact with the business community didn't exist. He took time to establish contacts with all stakeholders in the investment and all sectors of economy. These includes amongst others, sister Development Finance Institutions, former economic advisers at different levels (State and Federal), relevant state agencies and the likes, all in the effort to reconnect the Company with the Business Environment and to bounce back for optimal benefit of the state.
In terms of properties, since its incorporation, the company, it had been operating in a rented apartment suffering relocations from one place to another but with the effort of exuberant Managing Director and the support of His Excellency Governor Bello Matawalle, a two story building was purchased for the company where it resides now as sole owner not tenant and accommodating other agencies as tenants for investment purpose.
Having met the company's records obsolete for 10 good years not updated with CAC My he successfully regularized them.
Moreover, prior to his appointment as MD, the shares meant to be traded with were left unattended to leaving them in companies with no prospects, some moribund, some in comatose state while some, belonging to companies that collapsed. This has led to the state losing whole lot of money. With the MD who is is worth his salt, the situation has changed for better. The company now follows events in the Nigerian Stock Market (NSE) and take actions accordingly on which stock to maintain and which to exit thereby giving the state lot of profit. Shares from new companies were purchased like Zenih, Access, GTBank, Jberger etc.
Another milestone achievement is the establishment of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises register in the company which is the first of its kind in the state. Part of the objectives of establishing the company is to aid the Government, LGAs, cooperative societies and individuals with capital through grant or loan to undertake projects or finance their enterprises. So to attain this objective, a data is required which no one has thought it wisely to establish such a record before Anas came onboard. Three thousand women have already been shortlisted to benefit from a UN grant of N80,000 to start up a business.
In Summary, when MD Anas Hamisu took the mantle of the company's leadership, the worth of the company was in less of 250 Million Naira but today, it worth over 2.5 Billion Naira as the state now owns properties here and in the capital city of Abuja.
With these, it is obvious that those who insinuate that the youth are only appointed but not supported by His Excellency Governor Bello Matawalle have no evidence whatsoever to back their claims. What support is greater than empowering an investment and property company that owned almost nothing for twenty years not even its own offices with such back up that saw the company now having properties worth 2.5 Billion Naira, acquiring a decent Secretariat, reshuffling working environment, having shares in active firms and financial institutions? This give impetus to the company to coordinate loan intervention for small scale businesses.
𝕀𝕓𝕣𝕒𝕙𝕚𝕞 𝔹𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕠 ℤ𝕒𝕦𝕞𝕒
Director General, New Media
Government House Gusau
