By Rayyanu Bala

Whether we accept it or not Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura is indeed the sage of our time in Nasarawa state. History of Nasarawa state can never be complete without mentioning Al-makura’s name in positive light. Likewise when names of leaders in Nasarawa state are to be written Al-makura‘s name must be written in gold. This is a man that has spent and is still spending all that has in terms of time and energy to ensure the progress and development of Nasarawa state. In his dreams he thought up Nasarawa state; while awake all the issues bother on Nasarawa state. 

He has no any other issues before him apart from issues of how to uplift the state. Sentiments apart, Al-makura is the only governor in Nasarawa state who pays little or no attention to both his health and personal security when the interest of the state is at stake. Regardless of what wailers may say, governor Al-makura stands as shining example of a selfless leader who drives pleasures in making his followers happy. His passion is to see to it that our state catches up with other states in terms of development both human and capital.

While some of his contemporaries see the coffers of the states they governed as their personal treasury they can dip their hands at will and at any time of the day or night, governor Al-makura sees Nasarawa state resources as solely for utilization to advance living conditions of all. It is indeed, within this premise that solid but concrete infrastructures are springing up all over the places, geared towards uplifting the state to an enviable height. It is no exaggeration to say all the communities across Nasarawa state benefits from one form of infrastructural development or the other in the last six and half years of governor Al-makura. Yes of-course, I challenge anyone doubting this stance to show a single community that did not benefit from one infrastructural provision or the other, since the advent of Al-makura led administration in 2011.

It was not for nothing however, that encomiums kept pouring from all corners of the state felicitating with governor Al-makura on his 65th birthday. At Ta’al conference Hotel Lafia venue of celebration and in our mainstream, online as well as social media, the messages were the same; it was praises galore for Al-makura at 65 and praises for what he has done for the state. One striking aspect was, apart from the fact that these encomiums on Al-makura at 65 came from across all strata of our society, some even went beyond praises to bestow an award on him for his selfless services. As a Hausa man would say “Yabon Gwani ya zama dole” meaning “it become a must to praise a hero”Unarguably, to us in Nasarawa state to praise Al-makura has indeed became a must for what he has done to us in all aspects and in all manners of developments.

As he cloaked 65 and barely one and half years to the end of his second and concluding tenure as governor of Nasarawa state, awards and praises are not good enough for governor Al-makura. In fact he deserves not only our praises and awards but what he deserves from us at this material time is support and cooperation so as to enable him conclude his tenure successfully. Governor Al-makura also needs our support and cooperation to enable him realizes his future aspirations.

This is the only way we can pay him back for what he has done and is still doing to us in Nasarawa state.

Even though governor Al-makura did not come out to tell us want his future aspirations are, but it has became incumbent on us to start clamoring for his services at another level since we have seen his worth. We can not afford to let governor Al-makura go. We must keep his light shining in the state. As said earlier on, it is also through these that we can, in a clear and concrete term, demonstrate our appreciations to him. There is no any better time to show our support to governor Al-makura than now. Now is the time to earnestly ask for Al-makura to come out and vie for another elective position to pay him back. Posterity will not be kind to us if we allow good gesture of governor Al-makura goes without reward and the only way we can reward him is by giving him mandate to represent us at another level.

Yes, this piece sounds sycophantic, but truly speaking this is not a time for pretension on what governor Al-makura meant to us in the state. Since governor Al-makura’s records of achievements are credible and are on ground; we have no any reason not to believe in him. We also have no good reason not to praise him; we also have no good reason not to support him; we also have no good reason not demand from him to come out so that we give him another mandate. It is often say life begins at 40 but for governor Al-makura we can confidently say life begins at 65. Yes surely governor Al-makura’s life begins at 65 reasons being that, it is now that his services are needed much by the people. So to governor Al-makura this is just the beginning.