|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurates the Lafia Cargo Airport
By Francis Nansak, who covered the presidential visit to Nasarawa State
Against all odds the Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, from 29th May 2019, when he took over as governor, has shown capacity, which has left his critics with little or no means for antagonism.
The exhibition of Governor Sule’s vision became manifested when in his 100 days of assumption of office, some age-long abandoned state government projects came up alive and were completed and commissioned.
A deliberate effort he exhibited to proof that governance is not all about initiations of newer projects which may end up uncompleted but that governance entails continuity. Overtime, Governor Sule has deemphasized creating new projects while others inherited would be left to become a monument, this he added by saying he did not believe in wastages as state funds are meant to be utilized properly.
The one year in office of this private sector expert led the administration to institutionalizing a powerful economic policy driver “Nasarawa Economic Development Strategy”.
Governor Abdullahi Sule did exhibited that he is not just a politician whose interest is screwed around being the most powerful individual in a state but as a technocrat, he believes in value addition to the existing structures for the service of the populace, hence creation of conducive atmosphere that can further the cause of investment with a view to attracting private investors into the state who will harness the natural endowments deposited in the state.
Today, Nasarawa State has continue to witness the best of good governance.There has been relative peace and security in Nasarawa state, health care delivery also boosted through countless efforts by the administration on interventionary programmes that cost less for citizens, who had in one way or the other enjoyed free medical treatment across the 13 LGAs and Development areas in the three senatorial zones of the state.
Through Governor Sule’s quest for an improved economy for Nasarawa State, revenue generation from across the LGAs have been harmonized, leakages to a greater percentage are blocked, leading to realization of over N2billion monthly earnings as the state government now targets to generate N16billion from various sources of revenue that included proper land administration, agricultural development and from minerals deposit available in the state.
This exhibitor Governor, seems not to be folding his hands as in less than three years his deeds and efforts of good governance has endeared the President who paid a two-day working visit to Nasarawa State from Thursday 24 to 25 February 2022.
President Muhammadu Buhari visit heralded the efforts of Governor Abdullahi Sule good governance, causing critics to shut up their mouths.
The President commissioned close to 10 projects both of the federal government and the state government initiated by Engineer Abdullahi Sule. These went beyond expectations of critics.
First upon his arrival on Thursday at the newly constructed Lafia Cargo Airport, President Buhari commissioned the edifice by cutting the ribbon, declaring opened flight operations. He then proceeded to the Skills Acquisition Center and commissioned it, left for the new CBN branch along Jos road and performed the inauguration. The President drove to the location of the 3.30KV power substation and also commissioned it. Others include the Federal Secretariat,Lafia, the renovated and upgraded Emir of Lafia Palace and the Shinge-Kilima road and the modern Bus terminal lafia.
It is no more in doubt as his developmental strides are not confined in the state capital alone. Engineer Sule in less than 3 years started and completed the construction of a modern neighborhood market and Square in Keffi as well as completed the construction of another bus terminal in Karu which were also commissioned by the President on Friday, being the last day of his working visit to Nasarawa State.
At a gala night organised by the state government in his honour of the President broke his silence and commended Governor Abdullahi Sule. He said: ”The last time I came here on 6th February, 2019 was to solicit for your support to vote for me, Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule as the Governor of this State and others under the political platform of All Progressives Congress with clear and genuine ideology of securing our country, an ideology that was accepted by the good people of this State and, indeed, the country since 2015.
”I must say that Nasarawa State continues to remain my political laboratory because I have been following the developmental strides which the APC Administration has recorded in terms of security, education, infrastructural development, as well as youth and women’s empowerment.
”As we landed at Lafia Airport, I have re-assured myself that we have a personality who is working in line with the philosophy of our great political party, APC, and I have had the privilege to commission the Airport in order to open up a vista of economic activities between the State, Nigeria and the outside world.
”The magnificent Lafia Bus Terminal, as well as the Vocational and Skills Acquisition Centre and the network of roads that I also commissioned will go a long way to uplift the State’s economic status and thereby reduce poverty amongst our people.”
In his remarks, Governor Sule congratulated the President on the management of the economy, citing the latest National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report, showing that Nigeria’s GDP expanded by 3.98 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2021.
”The growth indicators of the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE), financial reports of the listed companies and agricultural revolution are indeed unprecedented. The GDP growth is now the highest since 2014. We salute your policies Mr President, ” he said.
The Governor, who described the State as relatively peaceful, thanked the President for the tremendous support in securing lives and property.
Engineer Sule requested the Federal Government to complete the Kwandare-Abuja bypass, the University Teaching Hospital in Lafia and the extension of the rail lines from Abuja to Keffi, connecting to the main railway line in Gudi station.
