Inside Nasarawa State, 25 years after

As Nasarawa State marks 25 years of existence, Daily Trust takes a look at its growth through the years 

Engineer Abdullahi Sule is the fourth democratically elected governor of the state; assuming office on May 29, 2019, with the promise to consolidate on the effort of his predecessors.

Before Gov Sule, there were three governors and two military administrators: Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu; Alhaji Aliyu Akwe Doma; Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura and Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim and Lieutenant Colonel Bala Mande, respectively.

When the state was created by the General Sani Abacha regime, Wg Cdr Abdullahi became its first administrator, but it was his successor, Lt Col Mande, who handed over to Alhaji  Abdullahi Adamu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on May, 1999, at the return of civil rule.

Alhaji Abdullahi, who is now the Senator representing Nasarawa-West, governed for two terms and handed over to Alhaji Aliyu Akwe Doma of the PDP on May 29, 2007, and Doma was at the helm of affairs for four years before losing a second term bid to an opposition party, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) He later decamped to the All Progressives Congress (APC). And he is currently the senator representing Nasarawa-South.

Since the creation of the state, its capital city, Lafia, has been witnessing influx of people for commercial and other sundry activities, but observers said no meaningful progress was achieved until the coming on board of the CPC government under Al-Makura.

The observers said prominent among the developmental strides in the state are massive infrastructure within Lafia. Gov Al-Makura commenced with the construction of the road connecting the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH) to Jos Road in Lafia, which was conceived by his predecessor.

He also immediately embarked on the expansion of other roads in the state, particularly within Lafia, which had been abandoned by successive governments; with the pledge that his administration would revamp the state for the overall interest of the people.

Speaking on the development so far made in the state in a telephone interview, the first Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Umaru Azores Suleiman, said, “First of all I want to thank the Almighty Allah that gave us a state of our own out of the former Plateau State. And I want to thank the late General Sani Abacha for creating Nasarawa State.

“There is no doubt that from 1996 to now the state has developed beyond my imagination compared to what it used to be when we were under Plateau State.

“Our state by the grace of God has progressed in so many spheres. If you want to talk about being satisfied, the indigenes of Nasarawa State can now say they have a state of their own. If you go to any local government area, especially Lafia, you will see development in terms of roads and structures of various institutions that have been put up.”

Mr Suleiman, who is also a former Ambassador to Sierra-Leone, added, “In the LGAs, they have access roads, at least in their headquarters.

“In the health sector, we have additional hospitals all over the state, and the old ones have been renovated and now they render better services.

“Likewise in the education sector, we have more schools around, and there is human capital development which has made many more Nasarawa people to be independent; particularly with our proximity to Abuja.”

According to him, the people of the state were lucky, especially during the eight years of Gov Al-Makura, and that even now with Gov Sule, things are going in the right direction.

He applauded Gov Sule for paying special attention to the industrialisation of the state, stating that, “We have started seeing major industries springing up,” noting that the Tunga Sugar Factory by Dangote has engaged about 10,000 in farming activities owing to the vast land Dangote  acquired.

He further said the Muhammadu Buhari Mega Motor Park in Karu Local Government Area would decongest other parks and ease traffic on the Abuja-Keffi expressway, adding that plan was on to develop the area because of the influx of people working in Abuja.

He said the consistent power problem in the state would be addressed by the time the 330-megawatt (MW) sub-station in Akurba, Lafia (which is near completion) is completed.

On security, the former SSG said, “As far as we are concerned, I think we are lucky. We are not like other states, especially in the North, where there is a lot of insecurity.”

However, he expressed bitterness over the activities of the Ombatse militia group in Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area, who took arms against security operatives, a development which claimed a total of 110 lives during the early days of Gov Al-Makura’s tenure.

He added, “this was in the past, so we are now living in peace in all the LGAs; we do not have communal clashes between one ethnic group and the other anymore in the state.”

He affirmed that the usual farmers/herders crisis is now minimal in the state, noting that, “we don’t have that challenge any more. Our youths are vigilant; they will not allow herds to destroy their crops.”

Also baring his mind on the state of Nasarawa State in a telephone interview, the man who served as Secretary General of the Movement for the Creation of Nasarawa State, Dr Dauda Kigbu, said the struggle for the creation of the state out of the old Plateau State had been justified by what he called the speedy development the state was witnessing in the area of roads across the 13 LGAs.

Dr Kigbu, a former Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, said, “If you look at the development strides from 1996, we can only say Alhamdullilahi! Rome was not built in a day. We started the process, we are not yet there. Our dream state is not yet ripe, but we are not too far away from it. If we sustain our unity, sustain good leadership and have a patient followership, then we will get what will beat our imagination.”

Dr Kigbu further explained that since the inception of democratic rule in 1999, development had  increased, particularly in Lafia, noting that a number of schools, hospitals, primary health institutions, tertiary institutions and universities had come with the creation of the state.

Dr Kigbu said, “we have the Federal University, Lafia (FUL), a Federal University Teaching Hospital in Lafia and a Federal Medical Centre (FMC). So, development has come in a quicker pace.”

He further said the establishment of a cargo airport in the state was a welcome development, adding that it had improved the status of the state as it would facilitate the exportation of agricultural produce from the state.

He added that, “The state’s nearness to Abuja, which does not have a cargo airport, is advantageous. The airport can also be used for other commercial services.”

Also commenting, the governor, Abdullahi Sule, commended his predecessor for their contributions to the state.

Governor Sule, who spoke through his chief press secretary, Mr Ibrahim Addra, said the sacrifice made by past governors put the state in a position to compete with other states created in 1996.

His words: “Rural electrification is part of the overall plan to develop the state and position it as an industrial hub for the North-Central region if not the entire nation.”

“We have embarked on several road projects. The state government has come up with more than three roads in each of the three senatorial zones.”

He said the state government has also embarked on the Farin Ruwa/Sinsi-Baki road, noting that it is a critical rural project.

He said the presence of Dangote sugar company in Tunga, in Awe Local Government Area, has added value to the state. He also stated that the Azman flour mills in Toto Local Government Area which is ongoing, has the capacity to employ over 30,000 youths when completed.

On the issue of security, he said the state government had taken proactive measures by engaging all critical stakeholders and traditional rulers in the state, adding that collaboration between the state and the federal government and the security outfits, has been beefed up.

“We also had discussions with the Benue State government on how to tackle security challenges at the borders of the two states’’, he said.

Speaking to our correspondent, a resident of the state, Mr Emmanuel Aso, said the state is still underdeveloped when compared to its counterparts like Zamfara and Ebonyi which were created at the same time as Nasarawa, adding that a lot needs to be done to develop it.