NKRUMAH BANKONG-OBI/Lafia
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has attributed the achievements made in developing the State to financial prudence and careful planning. He stated this at the public presentation of the book, Progressive Governance: Showcasing the Achievements of His Excellency Engr. Abdullahi Sule as the executive Governor of Nasarawa State(2019-2023) in Lafia, the capital. “All the projects we did in Nasarawa, we didn’t take the a lone because e I know the implication of taking loans. I made this statement a shortly after I came to office and it got me into trouble. I don’t want to be in trouble again.”
He told his listeners that he inherited unpaid counterpart fund, debts and other obligations when he assumed office. But he refrained from taking any loans but depended on grants and other initiatives.
“Today, we have paid most of those debts and we accept only money hat comes in the form of grants”. He reported that through frugal management of resources, e has repaid the debt and paid the counterpart fund which has prepared the State to benefit from an external grant of a little over 13billion billion naira.
He promised to utilize the money to “build 15kilometr roads in every local government area of the State, we will take up primary healthcare, we will enhance the improvement in education so that we can be where we want to be.” He noted that following the payment of counterpart fund obligation defaulted by previous administrations, a new opportunity has arisen to build or reconstruct 146 schools across the State.
Also speaking at the event, former national Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and first civil governor of the State, Abdullahi Adamus who described himself a “retired from politics and public service” praised Sule for the judicious utilisation of resources for the betterment of the State. He called on the citizens of the Nasarawa State to support the governor with prayers because “he needs all your prayers and goodwill to be able to succeed,” he admonished.
In his remarks, the senator representing Nasarawa West, Aliyu Wadada thanked Governor Sule for attracting industrial brands like Dangote, Asma, Flour Mill, Olam and others to the State. The lawmaker said it is obvious that “If all the companies the governor has attracted to the State begin full operation, they will offer employment to thousands of people and increase the revenue of the State. He made a case for civil servants to have access to mortgage, with the view to curbing corruption.
“Corruption has become a cankerworm in the discharge of our responsibilities. What other way are they discharging their responsibility, particularly the civil servants?
I think these people earn meager salaries and it is from this meager salaries they care for themselves. My thinking is that we should have a credit scheme which will allow them go for mortgage and make them think less about corruption,” he advised.
The author of the 286-page book, Abdullahi Tanimu said he was motivated by the quality of service rendered by governor Sule to produce this book for the sake of posterity.
The event which held at the Ta’al Conference Hotel attracted dignitaries across politics, academia and business.