17/10/2025
A RESPONSE TO JOSEPH ENAN MAIGARI: WHEN SENTIMENT OVERSHADOWS FACTS
I recently came across a piece written by one Joseph Enan Maigari on what he termed the “purported neglect” of the Numan Federation comprising Numan, Demsa, and Lamurde Local Government Areas and, by extension, the entire Southern Zone of Adamawa State.
While I acknowledge his right, like every citizen, to demand accountability from our leaders, including His Excellency Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, I must point out that his article was laced with sentiments rather than facts. Constructive criticism is healthy for governance, but when malice creeps in, the purpose of such engagement is defeated.
It was quite obvious, even from the tone of his piece, that it came in reaction to the recent approval by the state government of several road projects in Michika, Madagali, and Girei. However, selective criticism without context is misleading.
Let’s take a step back and remember what the Numan Federation looked like before Governor Fintiri came on board in 2019. Those years were dark and painful. Recurrent communal clashes between communities in Koh, Tigno, Mbemun, Gereng, and across the Numan Federation had claimed countless lives and destroyed livelihoods.
Worse still, the then administration did little to quell these conflicts. The silence of leadership and lack of commitment to peace only deepened the crisis.
When Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri assumed office, he inherited this volatile situation; but unlike his predecessor, he confronted it head-on. He spoke tough, and more importantly, he acted. His body language, his policies, and his proactive engagements with communities all showed one thing: commitment to peace and stability.
Under his leadership, dialogue and reconciliation were prioritized. Boundaries were clearly defined. Community leaders were engaged. Today, those same areas once notorious for bloodshed now enjoy relative peace and stability. Farmers have returned to their fields, and life has regained its rhythm.
This is no small feat, it is the product of purposeful leadership. Peace, after all, doesn’t happen by accident; it happens when a government truly cares about the safety of its people.
Now, on the issue of developmental projects in Michika and Madagali: we must not forget that these two LGAs bore the brunt of the Boko Haram insurgency for over a decade. Entire communities were razed, and thousands displaced. Rebuilding them isn’t favoritism; it is justice. It is recovery. It is leadership guided by fairness and empathy.
If anything, such interventions should be commended, not politicized.
That said, it is also disingenuous to claim that the Numan Federation has been neglected. Far from it. The zone has witnessed several developmental strides under Governor Fintiri’s administration tangible projects that speak for themselves.
In the health sector, the Federation got two brand-new cottage hospitals: one in Demsa and another in Lamurde. The General Hospital in Numan was expanded with new wards, complexes, and modern theatre facilities.
Moreover, every ward in the state today boasts at least one functional Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC), many built in collaboration with the “Saving One Million Lives” (SOML) initiative.
In the education sector, numerous schools across the three LGAs have been renovated or reconstructed. The administration’s flagship Mega Model Schools being built across all 21 LGAs are also underway in the federation, each sitting on three hectares of land.
Lamurde equally hosts one of the three new Model Comprehensive Science and Technical Schools, alongside Hong and Madagali. And let’s not forget that Government Secondary School, Numan, was selected among the ten legacy schools for complete overhaul and modernization.
In infrastructure, the record is equally impressive.
In Numan, we have the 3.5km Izala–Gweda Mallam–Malam Wafa–Wayam Road with stormwater drainage, and the 8km Numan/Biu Road Junction–Bare Road.
In Demsa, the 4.8km township road has been completed alongside the Dong–Bille–Kwasham rural electrification, Opalo–Shemun–Hoki–Zekun electrification projects, the 11km Maraban Bille Rural Road, the Goron–Borrong Road linking Girei and Demsa LGAs, and the Tower–River crossing in Borrong.
In Lamurde, a 2km township road project has also been executed.
All these are verifiable and visible.
So, rather than painting a picture of neglect, we should be honest enough to acknowledge the visible progress while still calling for more; just like Oliver Twist. Constructive engagement, not emotional criticism, is what strengthens governance and builds unity.
Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri has proven beyond doubt that he is a Governor for all; North, Central, and South. His distribution of projects across the 21 LGAs is balanced, deliberate, and reflective of equity.
As citizens, our role should be to encourage such even development and hold our leaders accountable with facts, not sentiments.
The Numan Federation has not been left behind; it is, in fact, part of the success story of a government that has restored peace, rekindled hope, and rebuilt Adamawa State from the ashes of division.
