Sule in the Eyes of His People

Igbawase Ukumba writes that Governor Abdullahi Sule’s recent tour of local government areas in Nasarawa State was an opportunity to see his two-year performance record

As part of activities marking the second year anniversary of his administration, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State embarked on a tour of the 13 Local Government Areas of the state to hear directly from the people about their expectations and what his administration is expected to deliver. This was even as the governor also used the opportunity of the tour to inspect as well as inaugurate some projects started by his administration.

Before kick starting his tour of the council areas, Sule thought it wise to donate 25 Lexus Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) cars to the 25 First-Class traditional rulers in the state in appreciation of their support, having participated in every meeting organised by the government, contributing valuable ideas, as well as implementing most of the recommendations responsible for the level of peace witnessed in the state.

Presenting keys to the vehicles to the royal fathers, Sule said: “Government decided to distribute the vehicles to the first class traditional rulers in the state in order to ease the discharge of their responsibilities, considering the vital role the royal fathers are playing in the maintainance and sustenance of security in the state.

“Being custodians of the peoples norms, culture and tradition, the traditional rulers must be carried along as done to civil servants in the state; who continue to receive 100 percent of their salaries, as well as magistrate court judges; who were provided with vehicles to facilitate the discharge of their responsibilities, in spite of the economic challenges confronting Nasarawa State.”

Consequently, Governor Sule was at the palace of the Ohimege Opanda, HRH Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, on May 19, 2021 to show appreciation to the royal father. According to the governor, the choice of Toto Local Government Area to kick-start his tour was not by accident, stressing that it was the same Toto that he began his campaigns ahead of the 2019 general election.

Therefore, Sule began his meet the people’s tour in Toto Local Government Area where stakeholders priotised security, education as the governor hosted his maiden town-hall meeting. The stakeholders in Toto had therefore called on the governor to priotise security by drafting additional security agents to the area to check activities of criminal elements resurfacing in parts of the council.

The people of Toto equally made a case for the establishment of a tertiary institution in the area, stressing that Toto has yearned for such institution for many years. Various speakers at the town-hall meeting took turns to voice their concern. Among other demands made by speakers at the forum include provision of portable water supply to the people of the council, as well as elevation of the stool of the Ohinoyi Ogye, from second class to first class status.

In Doma Local Government Area, the paramount traditional ruler of the area; the Andoma of Doma, HRH Alhaji Ahmadu Aliyu Ogah Onawo, tasked Governor Sule towards ensuring physical development across all the Local Government and Development Areas of the state. Specifically, the royal father called on the governor to endeavour to surpass the developmental strides of his immediate past predecessor, Senator Umaru Tanko Al-makura, by opening up the Local Government and Development Areas, through the construction of roads and hospitals.

While appreciating Senator Al-Makura for the role he played in ensuring that Engineer Sule became governor of the state, the royal father however called on the former governor not to rest on his oars, but to continue to support his successor to do even better than he did while he was in power. The Andoma of Doma further tasked Sule on translating all resources coming to the state into physical development, stressing that the developmental strides of the administration will be its selling point come 2023.

The Doma paramount traditional ruler, however, drew the attention of the governor to persistent conflicts at the boundary between Nasarawa and Benue States, adding that the Idadu/Agbashi road, when completed, will address most of the security challenges along the border areas. He also called on the state government to construct a befitting market in Doma, as well as a square where people of the council can gather on occasions.

In continuation of his meet-the-people tour across the 13 local government areas of the state, stakeholders in Keana Local Government Area also appealed to the Nasarawa State governor to address prevalence of border communal conflicts on the border between Nasarawa and Benue States.

Both the Keana Local Government Area Chairman, Hon. Adamu Adi and the commissioner representing Nasarawa State at the Federal Civil Service Commission, Mamman Alakayi, while commending the Nasarawa State governor, for his laudable stewardship, they however appealed for urgent steps to be taken to address the recurrent border strifes which have become a major source of worry to the people of Keana.

The stakeholders specifically want the governor to put to an end to the cross border conflicts along the Nasarawa/Benue boundary.

Similarly, the paramount ruler of Awe Local Government Area; the Sarkin Awe, HRH Alhaji Isah Abubakar Umar II, has appealed to the Nasarawa State government to upgrade the only boarding secondary school in the area.

According to the Sarkin Awe, “the dilapidated condition of the Government Secondary School, Awe; the only boarding school in the area, has become a source of concern for the people, especially that being the only boarding school in Awe Local Government Area, hence they have no other school to send their children to.”

Be that as it may, Governor Sule did not only hold town hall meetings with stakeholders when touring the state to mark his two years in office, but also used the opportunity and Flagged off as well as commissioned some project started by his administration. Notable was the commissioning of the 15.5km Sisinbaki/Kwarra road project estimated at N2.49 billion.

According to the governor, when commissioning the road project, “my administration decided to construct the road in order to open up the potentials that abound in the Farin Ruwa area, especially after the federal government took over the construction of the Farin Ruwa Dam Project previously initiated by the first civilian governor of the state, Senator Abdullahi Adamu. My administration embarked on the construction of the road to open up opportunities in the area which has been forgotten, particularly in agriculture and tourism.”

The governor commended the first civilian governor of the state, Senator Adamu, for initiating the project aimed at generating hydropower, as well as providing water supply. Sule announced that the federal government has taken over construction of the Farin Ruwa Dam estimated to cost N8 billion, which he continued that work has since commenced with a view to providing portable drinking water and hydropower.

The governor concluded that
after a recent visit by the Minister of Information, Tourism and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed to the state, the federal government expressed willingness to promote the Farin Ruwa tourism site, with the area also identified as one of the newly created national parks in the country.

Earlier, in a welcome address, the state Commissioner for Works, Hon. Philip Dada, said the idea of the Sisinbaki/Kwarra road project was conceived by the Engineer Sule’s administration to access government and citizens of the country, particularly the people of Sisinbaki and Kwarra axis.

Some of the projects initiated and completed by the administration of Governor Sule that were also commissioned during the meet-the-people tour in Lafia, the state capital, also include the Shinge-Abbatoir-Kilema road, Lafia/Airport Bye-pass roads, Shabu COVID -19 centre road and the Al-Makura/Abuja roads.

Similarly, Sule performed ground breaking ceremony for N8 billion Peninsula Hills Housing Project in Karu as part of activities marking the second year anniversary of his administration. The governor performed the ground breaking ceremony of the Peninsula Hills Housing Project expected to deliver 4,000 homes in Karu Local Government Area of the state.

According to the governor, when flagging-off the project which will see to the full development of 100 out of the 270 available hectares on the Peninsula Hills “followed the signing of a joint venture agreement with a private developer, the Affinity Realty, with the investor committing to spend an initial N8 billion on the project.

“I want to emphasize that with the Nasarawa State government being a partner in the project, my administration is not spending money on the project having already provided the land which will also serve as a major shareholding equity,” Sule disclosed.

An obviously elated Governor Sule said his administration decided to go for the full development of the Peninsula Hills, guided by the policy thrust enshrined in the Nasarawa Economic Development Strategy (NEDS). He stressed that when fully completed, the project aside boosting the internal revenue generation of the state, it will also create employment opportunities for members of the community.

“Let me reassure those who are affected by the project that government will allocate land back to those with confirmed and authenticated claims to land ownership in the area,” Governor Sule said.

QUOTE

Sule began his meet the people’s tour in Toto Local Government Area where stakeholders priotised security, education as the governor hosted his maiden town-hall meeting. The stakeholders in Toto had therefore called on the governor to priotise security by drafting additional security agents to the area to check activities of criminal elements resurfacing in parts of the council. The people of Toto equally made a case for the establishment of a tertiary institution in the area, stressing that Toto has yearned for such institution for many years. Various speakers at the town-hall meeting took turns to voice their concern. Among other demands made by speakers at the forum include provision of portable water supply to the people of the council, as well as elevation of the stool of the Ohinoyi Ogye, from second class to first class status