Nigeria@60: Time to reflect – El-Rufai

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state has advised Nigerians to focus on a new national consensus on our collective goals of citizenship, the rule of law and diversity as well as on merit, as the nation celebrates 60 years of independence.

The governor who gave this advice in his Independence Day message, also said that Nigerians should reflect ‘’on governance and how powers and responsibilities are devolved between the states and the federal government.’’

‘’In Kaduna state, we have tried to do just that in the last five years, contributing to national progress with reforms in governance, education, health and infrastructure.

‘’We have strengthened our sub-national economy with foreign direct investments and established strong credentials for ease of doing business.

‘’Our governance agenda aims to ensure that poverty does not stifle a child’s ability to gain decent basic education and that young people have the skills and access to finance to actualize their agency in creating jobs or in doing well where they are employed’’, he said.

The governor further said that his administration seeks ‘’ to stand by the hardworking and the honest, to promote initiative and to reward merit.’’

According to El-Rufai, Kaduna state is reducing the possibility that pregnancy becomes a fatal ordeal for mother and infant through increased investments in the health sector.

While calling on residents of the state to continue to do their utmost for peace and harmony in their various communities, he sympathized and commiserated with everyone that has been affected by the security challenges all over the state.

‘’As a state government, we are doing our utmost to support the security agencies to address these challenges. In this quest, we are also encouraged by the community level initiatives for peace that are going on in the southern Kaduna senatorial district, beginning with the exemplary efforts of community leaders in Atyap Chiefdom’’, he added.

The governor also commuted the prison sentences of 34 convicts in the exercise of power vested on him by section 212 of the constitution, after accepting the recommendations of the Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy.

According to him, 25 convicted prisoners are to be released, while others have had their sentences reduced, ‘’including commuttal of death sentences for some convicted armed robbers to life imprisonment.’’