By Our Reporter
Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nasarawa State, Engineer Abdullahi Alhaji Sule has revealed that if elected as governor of Nasarawa state he will establish state development council to advice the government on topical issues of governance. He also said his vision for the state is to make the state the industrial and economic hub of the North Central geopolitical zone.
Engineer Sule made this known while unveiling his blueprint at a colourful ceremony that held at the Lafia Square.
Addressing a world press conference, Engr Sule who is the Barayan Lafia and immediate past Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, said he will leverage on his background and experience from the private sector as well as network of both local and foreign investors to attract capital for the industrialization of Nasarawa State.
He said as part of his plan for the economic development of the state, he intends to rely on what he termed the four pillars of the state namely land, solid minerals, location and labour, stressing that an economic development plan will be set in motion to create employment and lay foundation for increased internally generated revenue to augment federal allocation. On Small Medium Scale Enterprise, Engr Sule disclosed that his government will establish Small Medium Scale Enterprise (SME Ambassadors) to empower 3, 000 women, youth and physically challenged persons annually by identifying and attracting intervention funds to support them. He added that
With 80 percent of the population of the state engaged in agriculture, his government will focus on agriculture to boost job creation and food security by promoting the agricultural value chain to capitalize on the abundant food and cash crops available across the state.
On the lingering farmers/herdsmen crisis affecting the region, Engr Sule said he will declare a state of emergency on security by introducing a community-based security system where the citizens will be responsible for the security of lives and property in their immediate environment.
He stressed that this scheme will be aided by incentives and protection to whistle blowers and informants.
While paying glowing tributes to the Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura for laying a solid foundation from where he is expected to proceed towards consolidating on taking Nasarawa State to the next level, Engr Sule appealed to the people of Nasarawa state to vote massively for the APC in the forthcoming general elections.
Earlier in a welcome address, Director General of the Engineer A. A Sule Campaign Organization, Sen. John Damboyi, described the event as long awaited, disclosing further that with the unfolding of the blueprint as well as unveiling of the ruling APC’s governorship candidate, campaign will commence in earnest across the state.
Also in his speech, the Chairman of the Engineer A. A Sule Campaign Council, Hon. Ahmed Aliyu Wadada, who also contested for the guber ticket of the party, but lost to A A Sule, declared their unalloyed support for the APC guber candidate.
According to Hon. Wadada, all the guber aspirants who contested with Engr Sule have all thrown their support behind him and will deliver him and all other candidates of the party in the 2019 general election.
On his part, alternate Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Campaign Council, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, while presenting the governorship candidates, promised to ensure that the ruling APC retains the governorship seat and all other elective positions in the state as well as return President Muhammadu Buhari as President for the second term.