By Comrade Austin Asadu
Having traversed the length and breadth of the administrative, political and socio-economic milleau of the Nasarawa State, holding influential positions and strategic appointments as Honourable Commissioner for Special Duties on Humanitarian Affairs and NGOs before her auspicious appointment as Honourable Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources by His Excellency, Governor Abdullahi Ahmed Sule on 27th February 2025, there is little doubt that the savvy Princess Dr Margaret ltake Elayo knows her onions to the letter.
Her wealth of knowledge, depth of experience and brevity of technical expertise and competence is the stuff of legend as evidenced by those who have worked with her in the past and present.
Indeed, Dr Margaret Elayo is calm, composed, comported, forthright and resilient in the conduct of her official duties, functions and assignments.
The environmental guru is thorough and meticulous and has no truck for cutting corners or bypassing laid down rules and regulations in order to achieve desired outcomes or goals.
As far as the fastidious Dr Margaret Elayo is concerned, what is right is right and not the other way round.
Her academic, professional and public service career has been marked by an unquenchable thirst for excellence, achievement and outstanding performance in all positive ramifications,
One delightful official disposition of the holistic-minded Environmental supremo is her relentless zest for reform, to restructure, to recalibrate and to revitalise the system for a more credible and efficient service delivery to Nasarawa people as a whole.
A highly dedicated Dr Elayo has gone the extra mile in introducing reform policies and initiatives that has drastically halted environmental degradation and ensured the speedy remediation and physical restoration of the State’s terrestrial, aquatic, floral and faunal landscape.
Putting the Nasarawa State physical and arboreal environment on a sound, safe and healthy footing and ensuring the sustainable exploration of its vast natural resources is her onerous brief and a resourceful Dr Elayo works round the clock to fulfill her operational mandate.
She has called on foreign and artisanal mining companies operating in Nasarawa State to fulfil their corporate social responsibility obligations by providing community projects to host mining communities, in order to prevent unrest, discontent, rancour and acrimony caused by feelings of marginalization, enstrangement and exploitation by the local populace.
Dr Margaret Elayo however lauded a mining concern, Sawadogo Nig Enterprises Ltd for partnering with the government to provide key community projects, including forty solar streetlights, ten solar boreholes, and a two-million-naira donation for medicines to the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Uke, Karu Local Government Area.
A highly motivated Dr Margaret Elayo believes in creative teamwork and mutual camaraderie with the various departments and directorates in the Ministry of Environment which has led to more effective and efficient decision-making process where all and sundry have a sense of belonging in the operational structure as a whole.
However, her amiable and convivial disposition should not be taken for granted as the resolute Dr Margaret Elayo is as tough as nails and is ready to decisively tackle persistent laggards and chronic malcontents not caring whose ox is gored.
Recently, she ordered
Lideal Mines Company to immediately withdraw all operational facilities, personnel, and machinery from the Endo Community, Udege Development Area of Nasarawa Local Government Area ( LGA) within a ‘stipulated period of time’ or face drastic action.
The Honourable Commissioner firmly stated that this decision
‘was in line with the commitment of the administration to uphold lawful mining practices, maintain peace within host communities, and ensure strict compliance with government directives,”
Indeed, Dr Elayo emphasized that modern mining activities has gone beyond mere extraction of resources to a progressive model that includes local processing and community development.
In tandem with the vision and mission of His Excellency Governor A. A. Sule, the Environmental Amazon has thrown her considerable weight behind President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope platform which she believes is designed to empower Nigerian youth as leaders of today, not just tomorrow.
Dr. Margaret Elayo restated this steadfast position while hosting a team from Nasarawa Expo 1.0 at the Ministry of Environment in Lafia, the state capital recently.
A visibly elated Dr Elayo reiterated that young people must take control of their destinies instead of waiting for others to shape their futures.
She expressed satisfaction that the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, is a vital platform for youth engagement and vision realization while assuring the Nasarawa state delegation of her unwavering commitment to integrating them into President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope train, so that their voices will resonate accross the state.
In view of her unalloyed commitment to the Renewed Hope revolution, well meaning youths, women, students, civil society, gender and human rights activists across the nation do respectfully implore His Excellency, Dr A. A. Sule, Executive Governor of Nasarawa State to appoint Princess Dr Margaret Itake Elayo to an equally challenging and strategic public office or ensure her elevation to a befitting position in the federal public service of the nation come 2027 as she continues to dutifully soldier on in the dedicated and competent service of her beloved fatherland.
To God be the Glory.
