Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has given a detailed account of the work his administration carried out to complete the Usman Dan Fodio Airport.
He disclosed that his government met the facility largely unfinished and had to complete critical components before it became operational.
The governor spoke on Friday while hosting the Forum of Presidents of Cultural Associations in the state on a courtesy visit at the Government House.
Sule explained that when his administration came in, the airport terminal building was not completed, the apron where aircraft park was not ready, and the perimeter fencing of the airport had not been constructed.
He said his government undertook all of the outstanding work, stressing that more was done to bring the airport to completion than what was met on the ground, even though the achievement is rarely acknowledged.
“A lot of people don’t remember that we actually completed this airport. Even the terminal building, the apron was not ready, fencing of the airport was not there yet, we had to build a new watchtower. We did more work on the airport than we inherited,” he stated.
On the question of credit for the project, the governor said the initiative to conceive and commence the airport predates his administration, and that recognition should rightly go to the administration that first envisioned it, even though his government did the bulk of the work to complete it.
He disclosed that ownership of the airport, along with the right to name it, passed to the Federal Government following its takeover of the facility, noting that his administration no longer has a say in such decisions since the airport was handed over and compensation was received from the Federal Government.
On rural roads, the governor explained that his slight delay in arriving for the courtesy visit was due to an inspection of the Gitata-Panda road, which he described as an economic corridor rich in agricultural potential and mineral deposits currently subject to illegal mining activity.
He said construction on the road would formally begin once contractors were engaged, noting that opening up the area would attract investors and help curb insecurity linked to illegal mining.
“I went to inspect the road between Gitata and Panda. That is one road that is an economic hub. It is an excellent area for agriculture. They have a lot of minerals. They are unexplored partially with more or less a lot of illegal mining in those areas,” he said.
Governor Sule listed the Nasarawa Eggon-Arikya Road, the Nasarawa-Ara Road, the Wamba-Wayo-Alizaga Road, and the Adonkasa-Karikari Road in Karu Local Government Area as other rural projects receiving attention from his administration.
He said that his administration had either completed or is nearing completion of rural road projects in most local governments across the state.
On power, the governor disclosed that his administration would meet with the State Executive Council next Tuesday to deliberate on the deployment of World Bank-funded resources earmarked strictly for business development, including street lighting in parts of the state to help reduce insecurity.
Sule also spoke on preparations for the state’s 30th anniversary celebrations, inviting the cultural associations to nominate representatives to join the planning committee led by the deputy governor, to ensure their input is captured in the process.
He commended the cultural associations for working together in uniting the people of the state.
“It’s not too wrong to identify yourself with your roots. What would be wrong is if you do that to the detriment of the unity of the state. If you are doing that in order for you to represent the culture and the tradition, we’ll now walk towards uniting the whole state. That’s the beauty of it, that’s what it is,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the forum, the National President of the Rindre Cultural and Development Association (RICUDA) and forum leader, Cletus Inji, commended Governor Sule’s achievements in road infrastructure, healthcare revitalisation, provision of learning materials in schools, agricultural input distribution and youth empowerment schemes over the past seven years.
Inji described the administration’s infrastructure projects in Lafia, Karu, Keffi and Maraba as unmatched.
The forum presented requests bordering on rural roads, expanded healthcare access, extension of the national grid and solar power to rural areas, irrigation farming, potable water schemes, and further investment in skills acquisition centres across the state’s senatorial zones.
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