NKRUMAH BANKONG-OBI/Lafia
The governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule has delivered forty-one operational vehicles, twenty-five motorbikes to workers in the State service, and security agencies and twenty-three tractors to farmers across the State. Speaking at a handing-over ceremony at the Government House, Lafia, on Wednesday, Gov. Sule said the procurement of the vehicles for the workers aligns to enhance productivity and bring prestige to the services. “We believe that the distribution of vehicles to public officers and indeed, offices, will improve the dignity of public officers and enhance delivery of service towards the realisation of our policy objectives.”
On the donation of vehicles and bikes to security organisations, Governor Sule noted the vital role that members of the security agencies play in the maintenance of law and order, hence fostering development, statewide. He said the gesture towards the security agencies is part of his administration’s “Commitment to accord priority to security as a panacea for socioeconomic development. This is why we have remained resolute in our provision of logistic support to our security agencies in the onerous duty of protecting lives and property of our citizens, hence the relative peace we are enjoying today.”
The governor noted that the procurement of tractors aims at transforming agriculture from peasant systems to mechanised farming. “In our quest to move from hoe method of farming to mechanised farming, the government have acquired thirty tractors for distribution to farmers in the State. modalities are being worked out for distribution to cooperative societies and other related groups.” This governor said the ambition is to improve agricultural production and its value chain. Governor Sule intimated to his listeners that local government councils that had been mandated to coordinate farming groups that can make the leasing of tractors possible failed in ensuring remittances. Therefore, the new local government council chairman is advised to enrol farming associations to lease the machines so that councils too can also generate some revenue.
He called on the benefitting personnel to put the vehicles to effective use for the benefit of the State. The governor thanked agencies that requested mobility and only just received them for their patience. He promised that his government would continue to ensure that no money is borrowed to invest in non-revenue generating ventures. He announced that the government did not obtain loans to purchase the vehicles, motorcycles and tractors distributed.
Earlier, the secretary to the State government, Muhammed Aliyu Ubandoman said the government is poised to support top government functions, ministries, departments and agencies, and MDAs to enable them to cope with the task of service delivery. The continuous support to the security agencies, he said accounts for the “Attraction of investors within and outside the country to invest in various sectors of our economy.” He said since 2019, the present administration has provided thirty-five vehicles, and one hundred and twenty-one motorcycles to security agencies. One hundred and fourteen assorted vehicles have been allocated to state agencies as well as twenty-three tractors that have been allocated to the local government councils and other relevant organisations, to ensure food security.