His Excellency, Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule receives in audience, Sustainable World Advanced Technologies(SWAT).
The company is expressing interest in the area of road construction using a new technology.
Her Excellency, Hajiya Silifat Abdullahi A. Sule, First Lady Nasarawa State alongside some Governors’ spouses were led by the Chairperson of the Nigeria Governors’ Wives Association, NGWA, Amb. Olufolake Abdulrazaq on a courtesy visit to the Mayor of New York, Eric Adams.
22nd September, 2023.
Engineer Sule seeks further collaboration with FCT on infrastructure, security
Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, has solicited for further collaboration with the FCT administration for a metroline from Apo to Keffi, as well as partnering to build the 13,000 hectares Gurku/Kabusu mega city that is only 5km away from Maitama 2.
Engineer Sule made this known when he paid a working visit on the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike in his office on Friday.
The Governor expressed optimism that with the Gurku/Kabusu project, Nasarawa State and the FCT could collaborate to build another Kigali or Dubai, that would be the pride of all and sundry.
Pressing in further, Engineer Sule made it known to the FCT Minister that close to 40% of those working in the FCT live in Nasarawa State.
“In Nasarawa State, about 5km away from Maitama 2, we do have about 13,000 hectares of land. It is an initiative of the previous Governor. It is in Gurku/Kabusu area. We can jointly build another Kigali, another Dubai; We can’t do it alone, we can only do it with FCT and build a clean city that everybody will look up to,” he said.
On the Apo-Keffi metroline, the Governor recalled that his administration had earlier approached the immediate past FCT minister, where Nasarawa State made agreed to fulfill its part of the bargain regarding the construction of the metroline linking Apo to Keffi.
“We discussed with the previous minister that whatever it is, we don’t want free meal. Nasarawa State would bring its own part of the bargain. What would link Apo to Keffi and we have even initiated and met with CCECE that are willing. We also met with a Russian company that is willing. And with that, we said we are more than happy to come jointly with the FCT to be able to develop that. Once we develop that, again it would open up another area of land administration for housing for us, not only for Nasarawa State but for the FCT,” he stated.
Engineer Sule used the opportunity of the visit to thank the FCT for initiating work from the Abacha Barracks all the way to the border between Nasarawa State and the FCT.
He however said that the expectation is that the work would extend to Masaka, especially that his administration has already fulfilled its part of the bargain by collapsing all the 22 motor parks causing gridlock on the Abuja-Keffi road and building the Sani Abacha Mega Bus Terminal with 900 vehicles capacity.
He assures the FCT Minister that his administration would provide the necessary security towards ensuring that there is no encroachment on both sides of the road.
Engineer Sule lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing Wike as FCT Minister, expressing hope that Wike would replicate the exceptional performance he demonstrated during his two-term governorship of Rivers State, particularly in the area of infrastructure development.
“I want to thank you for giving us the opportunity to come in because we are your biggest neighbour, we are the ones next to you, we are the ones that will always feel what you feel here in the FCT and we believe we should be among the first to come and congratulate you.
“We have no doubt in our minds that the FCT needs a person like you. I have told you in private, I have told you in the open that anybody can say whatever they want to say. One thing they can never take away from you is that, indeed, you are Mr. Project among all the governors in Nigeria during our time,” he added.
Responding, FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike underscored the need to deepen cross -border ties and enhance development, between the FCT and Nasarawa State especially on infrastructure and security.
Wike reiterated the readiness of the FCT administration to collaborate with Nasarawa government on their request to work on the Abacha road-Keffi and the Metroline from Apo to Keffi.
He however emphasized that any project he would initiate would be based on available funds to guard against having additional uncompleted projects.
The Minister announced plans to convene a security meeting involving the neigbouring states of Nasarawa, Niger, Kaduna and Kogi, with a view to addressing prevailing security challenges.
“One of the problems we have here, I must tell you is the problem of award of contracts without conclusion. Metroline from Apo to Keffi is key, but very expensive.We will discuss further with you.
“I’m trying to see how we can arrange a meeting between neighbouring states and FCT, so that we can put our heads together and get a system that we can see how we can tackle insecurity, because we cannot do it alone. So people like you, I think will make sure that the renewed hope agenda of the President can be achieved. Be assured that together we will work together, and make sure that the problem is tackled or reduced to the barest minimum.
”You are the first elected Governor that has come to pay us a courtesy call.The role of Nasarawa state as regards the development of the FCT cannot be overemphasized. FCT is at the centre; we have boundaries with Niger, Kogi, Kaduna and Nasarawa states. But of all the states, Nasarawa is the biggest, and very close to us. So, I assure you that we could work together for the development of FCT and Nasarawa State ” Wike stated.
The Chairman, North Central States Governors Forum and Nasarawa State Governor, His Excellency, Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule visits Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Henry Dele Alake at his office in Abuja.
He congratulated the Minister on his appointment also to look at areas to improve the synergy between Federal Government and Nasarawa State Government.
Distribution of Palliatives in Nasarawa State continues today in Assakio Development Area of Lafia LGA.
His Excellency, Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule, the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State presided over the distribution of four hundreds (400) 50kg bags of rice and two hundreds (200) Big Bags of Maize with five thousand naira (5000) each to vulnerable households in Assakio Development Area of Lafia LGA.
The Governor personally presented the rice, maize and five thousand naira to the beneficiaries.
Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, has approved for the immediate commencement of the payment of ten thousand naira and five thousand to civil servants and pensioners in the state respectively, as palliative, aimed at cushioning the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy.
The directive also include paying the same amount for workers and pensioners at the local government level.
Engineer Sule gave the directive after meeting with labour leaders, at the Government House, on Monday.
The Governor directed the state Accountant General, Head of Civil Service, Commissioner, Ministry for Local Government, Community Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Director General, Nasarawa State Pension Bureau, as well as the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), to liaise together with a view to commencing the payment of the palliative immediately.
The meeting was convened at the instance of the Governor to harmonize views on the worker’s palliative following feelers that the unions may have different views on what they want for the pallatiative.
Engineer Sule took time to explain in detail the idea behind the pallatiative, especially the N5bn given to each state by the Federal Government.
“The arrangement for the palliative is very simple. The Federal Government will give us N4bn in cash, as well as N1bn in cash in order to cushion the hardship created by the removal of fuel subsidy.
“The one billion is going to be in form of a loan which the state is going to pay back. The N4bn is going to be divided into two, N2.08bn would be borne by the Federal Government, N1.02bn is by the state. It’s a grant and loan combined together. Every state has taken N2bn so far,” he stated.
The Governor explained that even at that, there are conditions tied to the money given by the Federal Government on how the money is to be expended.
A lot of people don’t understand much about that N4bn. The way it was calculated was that we are going to buy one hundred thousand bags of 50kg rice at N40, 000 per bag, and share in the state. That is the understanding of Mr. President. Part of it is loan, part of it is grant. But you are going to buy 100, 000 bags of rice.
“This one that we are talking about that we are giving as palliative, including the N10000 and N5000, is not out of this N2bn. I think it’s good that we have that clear understanding. The local government are giving out of their improved allocation, out of the improved revenue that we are getting as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy,” he said.
On the plea by the labour leaders to use the money meant to be giving to workers as palliative to implement consequential increment for workers on level 7 and above, as well as promotions, Engineer Sule said his administration would rather do something that would give every citizen of the state a sense of belonging. He further urged the labour unions to be realistic in their demands, especially given the prevailing economic realities.
“For palliative, you try to do something that would give everyone a sense of belonging. If you focus only on the civil servant, it would remain a civil servant affairs. Some of the states have offered a minimum of N10, 000 to their workers. In our state we said let’s do a little more than that. We are also offering N5, 000 to pensioners because they are also citizens of the state.
“Why are we doing this? Because N5bn is given uniformly to the states irrespective of the population. We are one of the smallest states. If a state with 15m people would be giving that amount to cushion the effects, our state should be able to do something extra. That is the wisdom behind us doing something probably some of the bigger states may not do ” the Governor said. Engineer Sule however assured the labour leaders that the issues of consequential increment and promotion would be addressed by his administration. “At the end of the six months period, hopefully our income would remain the same or even better. From the seventh month, I have absolutely no problem. Instead of using the resources for something else, we would use some percentage to address the consequential increment,” he added.
Responding, both Comrades Ayuba Ismaila Oko and Mohammed Doma, state chairmen of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), respectively agreed with Engineer Sule regarding the payment of ten thousand naira and five thousand naira to workers and pensioners.
The labour leaders, including the representative of pensioners in the state, thanked the Governor for his magnanimity, while also pledging to differ their earlier claims regarding the payment of consequential increment and implementation of promotion to a later date as agreed by the Governor.
Distribution of palliatives in Nasarawa State continues today in Wamba LGA.
His Excellency, Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule, the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State presided over the distribution of 50kg bags of rice and 5000 Naira each to vulnerable households in Wamba LGA.
The rice and cash are part of palliatives designed to cover 1000 selected vulnerable households in each Local Government Area.
As part of the on going distribution of palliatives in Nasarawa State, His Excellency, Governor Abdullahi Sule presents bags of fifty kg rice to 1000 households in Karu.
The Governor personally presented the bags of rice to about 150 beneficiaries. In addition each of the beneficiaries got the sum of five thousand naira.
Apart from Karu, the exercise will be replicated to another set of 1000 beneficiaries in Panda and Karshi development areas.
His Excellency, Dr. Emmanuel Agbadu Akabe, Deputy Governor, Nasarawa State on behalf of his principal, H.E. Engr. Abdullahi A Sule today flagged-off officially the distribution of palliative to Doma LGA occasioned by the removal fuel subsidy. His Excellency ensured that the palliative gets to the poorest of the poor and the distribution was thoroughly monitored.
You will recall that last week, His Excellency Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule and his Deputy performed the symbolic presentation of palliative in the 3 Senatorial zones of the State, hence the full swing of the distribution to Local Government Areas. RGREAT
Nasarawa State Government
