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Politics is a game of character assassination, pull-him-down syndrome, and propaganda. When Engineer Sule joined the race for those who want to be governors in Nigeria to govern Nasarawa State in 2019, he was attacked with insinuations: a settler who has spent part of his life in the private sector and has no experience in governance. Another argument against him was that all he will do if elected governor is to expand his business empire at the detriment of the state.
For the All Progressives Congress (APC) Engr. Sule got the party’s ticket and battled with candidates of other political parties for the soul of Nasarawa State in the 2019 governorship election. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) organised a debate for the candidates held at the Federal University, Lafia and gave them the opportunity to express themselves on what their mission would be if elected governor.
During the debate, Engr. Sule said he would industrialise the state if given the mandate.
A cross-section of Nasarawa State indigenes who bared their minds before the election said if given the mandate, Alhaji Sule would make Nasarawa State the industrial destination of the North Central Zone of Nigeria. In the March 9, 2019 governorship election, Engr. Sule won and became the 4th civilian governor of the state. Addressing the press after he was declared winner, Sule said, ‘‘I will fulfill my campaign promises”.
In his inaugural speech on May 29, 2019, the governor kept hope alive in the minds of his people, expounding what the state would look like in the near future.
As the fourth civilian governor of the state, Engr. Sule vowed to reassert commitment in all areas of governance. A timetable was drawn for ministerial briefing, which started on June 13, 2019, an exercise in which government ministries, departments, commissions and agencies briefed the governor on their prospects and challenges. The brief gave the governor insight of the situation on the ground.
Matching words with action, the governor, on assumption of office, inaugurated a 12-man committee chaired by a retired permanent secretary in the state, Mr. Silas Jaraumi Dachor, that advised the government on civil service restructuring. In his consultation with stakeholders, Governor Sule reduced the ministries from 17 to 13, saving resources that were channeled to other areas of development.
A 15-member economic team made up of eminent Nigerians headed by Professor Konyisola Ajayi (SAN) that drew a blueprint that would lead to the industrialisation of the state was inaugurated.
The governor visited the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Works, Central Bank of Nigeria and other federal ministries, departments and agencies in Abuja and lobbied for more federal government presence in the state. At the Federal Ministry of Works, he made a case for the rehabilitation of the Abaji-Toto-Nasarawa-Keffi road. The governor argued that if the road is rehabilitated, it would ease holdups along Nyanya-Mararaba and Keffi road, as travelers going to the northern states can divert through Abaji/Toto road without going through Kwali-Gwagwalada and Garki. Governor Sule repeated his plea when the House of Representatives Committee on Works visited the state.
Governor Sule was caught in the web of leadership challenges when the country, state, and the global community faced tough times. Nasarawa State, like other states, was recovering from COVID-19 when the End SARS protest took over, coupled with incessant kidnapping in some parts of the state. It was a trying moment for the state.
However, challenges have proven Governor Sule to be an excellent leader; at the centre of the challenges, he kept promises made to the people by delivering on his campaign promises.
Governor Sule knew the importance of the civil service as the engine room of government that implements policies and programs of government. His concern for the service was captured in his inaugural speech when he declared, “We would put in place a robust staff scheme for civil servants and a sustainable reward system for those who excel in service. In addition, training and re-training of civil servants would be accorded high priority for efficient service delivery. Government views labour as partners in progress and will ensure harmonious government relations.
Payment of workers’ salaries has been prompt, and pensioners now receive their pay 100% instead of percentages. For state civil servants, December 2022 salaries were paid on the 16th of the month, giving them enough time to go for Christmas and prepare for the New Year. Civil servants in the state have undergone three months of computer training and got laptops on loan. This has made them key to e-governance introduced by the present administration. The motivational approach by the government is smoking out good results out of the civil servants.
In the area of agriculture, the administration is making concerted effort in fulfillment of its concern for the sector. The governor said, “The major part of our agenda is to encourage commercial agriculture in our area of comparative advantage and add value to our crops by laying a solid foundation for agro-allied industries.
Disturbed by a situation in the 21st Century that human beings still share drinking water with animals, the governor constituted a seven-man committee chaired by the then Commissioner for Justice, Abdulkarim Kana, to suggest ways the government can provide good drinking water for residents of the state.
The completion of Government House Banquet Hall equipped with State of the arts and named after former Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma (late) received applause from across the state. The completion of this project conceived and started by Doma woo the main opposition party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other parties in the state believe the governor is working for the interest of the entire state.
In appreciation the family, friends and political associates of Aliyu Akwe Doma led by his deputy, Chief John Mike Abdul, were in Government House for appreciation. The popular opinion now in the state is Engr. Sule is giving meaning to good governance.
Mindful of the Chinese proverb “development starts by road”, Governor Sule led administration flagged of construction of some roads in the state capital and other rural ones. Some of these roads are the 15.5 km Sisibaki-Kwarra road, Agwade-Shupe, Atabula-Obi road, Shabu-Doka-Arugba-Alakyo road, Kanje-Abuni, Kagbu-Atsoko-Wanna road, Mararaba-Udege road and Abuja Street in Lafia. Some of these roads have been completed.
Mass construction and renovation of primary and secondary schools under the watch of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) projects are in progress. The governor has graciously approved the appointment of 2,250 teachers.
The administration has taken pragmatic steps in securing the state especially crises prone areas. Citizens now freely go about their lawful activities and go to bed with their two eyes closed.
On assumption of office Governor Sule initiated meetings with his Benue State counterpart, Samuel Ortom, held several meetings in both Lafia and Makurdi on security to make the two states particularly boarder communities live peacefully.
The governor demonstrated his humility in leadership and concern for the people when in the wake of COVID 19 epidemic, he quarantined himself even though he had not tested positive and put concrete measures that halted its spreading in the state.
The governor takes no pleasure in blaring sirens to scare the very people that elected him into power. Hardly does he announce his movement with blaring sirens.
Governor Sule’s philosophy is “after the election I have forgotten about who voted for who, my concern is to serve all’’.
Commenting on Governor Sule’s administration former Nasarawa State Commissioner for Education, Hajiya Fati Sabo said “the achievements recorded by this administration for the past seven (7) years are laudable. As a stakeholder in Nasarawa Local Government, one of the major achievements is in the area of security and peaceful co-existence. The people of Nasarawa Local Government were facing challenges of insecurity such as kidnapping, armed robbery that brought farming and other commercial activities to halt. The stationing of military Super Camps in different locations in the local government is commendable. Undesirable elements creating problems in the area were dismantled.
Today, if you visit Nasarawa Local Government, you will see developments, people are going about their legitimate activities without fear of insecurity. That is why people from Benue are crossing through Nasarawa to Abuja as a result of peace in the area. Also, one of the major roads linking Mararaba to Udege has been constructed by this administrati’on. Communities in those area are predominantly farmers, it will go a long way to facilitate the movement of their farm produce to urban centres. Another key area of achievement by this administration is in the area of provision of electricity. A good number of my communities have benefitted from this gesture. For instance, in Nasarawa town, three transformers have been provided, communities like Loko, have also been provided with additional transformers ‘’.
In the area of education, Gov. Abdullahi Sule has also carried out the renovation of schools and equipped them with modern facilities in both primary and secondary schools in the area. One of the key projects we are happy about is the fencing of Government Secondary School, Nasarawa. The cases of school land encroachment will now be stopped. Also, there are some communities that don’t have Junior Secondary Schools, so the issue of transition from primary to secondary school is a problem; this
administration has established junior secondary schools.
The State Government has also paid scholarship allowances to indigenous students studying in higher institutions, and for those with special needs, the government paid their fees from secondary school to higher institutions.
Emir of Nasarawa,Alhaji Ibrahim Usman Jibril, in an interview, said Governor Sule has done well for his commitment in actualising the dream of the people. The administration has made Nasarawa local government relatively crime-free.
The royal father further said, “During his electioneering campaign, he promised us that he would reconstruct the Mararaba-Udege road; this promise has been fulfilled, and today, as I am talking to you, the road is perfectly motorable. The road has been a long-expected project as far back as the fifties, when mining activities started in the area.
Also, Governor. Sule mounted pressure on the Federal Government, and the Nasarawa-Loko road across to Benue is completed; this has increased commercial activities in the area. The government has maintained periodic free medical outreach since assumption of office and launched the Health Insurance Scheme in the state.
Esu Karu, Pharmacist Luka Baba Payam, described Governor Sule as a “promise made, promise kept.
A fair distributor of dividends of democracy, when the Federal Government took over Dr. Araf Specialist Hospital {DASH) Lafia as Federal University Teaching Hospital, his administration moved DASH to Akwanga in the Northern senatorial zone of the state. Governor Sule’s administration has completed the construction of the Lafia flyover in the Southern senatorial zone; the Akwanga underpass in the Northern senatorial zone is also completed,, while the Keffi Total roundabout and long Mararaba flyover in Western senatorial zone are currently under construction.
Undoubtedly, Governor Sule, for the past seven years has kept the state peaceful, turning challenges into achievements.
Tukura writes from Lafia
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