Press Release: September 2000

Nigerian Journalists Honour Governor Abdullahi Adamu of Nasarawa State for His Peace Initiatives and Visionary Leadership.

 

The Governor of one of Nigeria’s youngest states, Governor Abdullahi Adamu of Nasarawa State has been given an award by Nigeria’s National Union of Journalists for his peace initiatives and visionary leadership.  The union said it singled out Governor Adamu for this award because of the pivotal roles he has been playing to reconcile communal and political conflicts in Nigeria since the country returned to democracy to Nigeria in May 1999 after decades of military rule.  The union also praised Governor Adamu for the visionary leadership he has offered in his young state since he assumed office which has resulted in an elaborate and coordinated rural and urban development initiatives leading to renewal of infrastructure all over the state. 

Nigeria’s transition to democracy has been marked by occasional outbursts of communal and political conflicts as civil society strives to address issues of power and resource sharing following decades of centralization and abuse by the military.  Another reason for occasional conflicts is widespread poverty and unemployment as Nigerians live through harsh consequences of economic mismanagement of the military era. 

Governor Adamu has been in the forefront of efforts to reconcile these conflicts.  In Nasarawa State, where he is Governor, his peace initiatives led to the successful reconciliation of one of Nigeria’s bloodiest and most protracted communal conflicts in Toto, a sleepy district at the border with Abuja, Nigeria’s new federal capital city. His peace efforts there led to the return two months ago of over one hundred thousand refugees of the Bassa ethnic group who had fled after a bloody conflict with neighbouring Egbura ethnic group two years ago. It is the single most significant and successful peace initiative in Nigeria in decades. 

Currently, the reconciliation initiative is working fairly well, and the state government has been appealing for assistance from humanitarian agencies around the world to help with medicines and food for the refugees who are currently in camps constructed by the state government.  The state is also in need of assistance to restore social infrastructure and services which were destroyed in the wake of violent conflict.

Governor Adamu who is the Chairman of the national Governors Forum has played critical roles in the effort to reconcile the lingering crisis between Nigeria’s President  Olusegun Obasanjo and the National Legislature.  Along with other national leaders he has initiated dialogues between the executive and the legislature at the national level which have helped to stabilize the transition to civil democracy in Nigeria.

As Chairman also of the Governors of Nigeria’s largest region, the northern region, Governor Adamu has played vital roles to reconcile recent disputes between Muslims and Christians following the introduction of the Sharia penal code in some states in the Northern part of Nigeria.  Twice his efforts succeeded in getting a truce at the national level which calm down tension as the nation finds solutions to the problem.

His State, Nasarawa also camped thousands of refugees who fled from the Sharia Crises in neighbouring Kaduna state early this year.  The refugees only recently returned home after the situation stabilized. 

Governor Adamu believes intensely in peace as a precondition for consolidating the democratic transition in Nigeria.  He believes without peace, it is impossible to rebuild the national economy and achieve prosperity for millions of Nigerians who now live under the poverty line following decades of military mismanagement of the nation’s economy. 

At home in his young state, Governor Adamu has provided visionary and transparent leadership which has resulted in the renewal of public trust in government. He has embarked on successful implementation of development programmes to transform the lives of the ordinary people.  He has within one year in office provided electricity, water and health services to many towns and communities across his state.  He has laid the basis for a private sector leadership in the transformation of the state’s economy, and has through partnership with private banks completed the largest international market in central Nigeria, the Karu International Market at the border with Abuja. The market is expected to boost commerce in the State, and in Abuja, the nation’s new federal capital.

Last June, Governor Adamu undertook a working visit to the United States which resulted in several agreements for private investments in beef processing, transport and estate development initiative in partnership with American companies.

The visit has also drawn attention to the development of the large solid mineral deposits found in Nasarawa state, including metallic and non-metallic precious stones. The state has large and proven deposits of barytes, tantalite, topaz, aquamarine, coal, etc. which are yet to be developed.  Governor Adamu has been shopping around the world for investors to develop the state’s huge solid mineral and agricultural potential. This week he takes off to the Hannover trade fair in Germany as part of Nigeria’s delegation to the trade fair. His Mission is to shop for private investments for Nasarawa state.

The award by one of Nigeria’s most reputable professional unions is a recognition of Governor Adamu’s dynamic leadership and vision which have marked him out as one of Nigeria’s best civilian governors since the return to democracy in May 1999.

Receiving the award, Governor Adamu thanked Nigerian journalists for the honour done to him, and pledged to continue to assist in whatever way possible to reconcile communities across the nation.  He stressed the imperative of peace for the stabilization of Nigeria’s young democracy.  He said democracy offers the best opportunity to rebuild bridges of trust among Nigeria’s diverse ethnic and religious groups, stressing that dialogue offers the only rational approach to national reconciliation.    

He urged the Nigerian media to promote national reconciliation rather than ethnic and sectarian divides.  Prosperity and democracy, he emphasized, could only be realized in peace, unity and national reconciliation.

 

Signed:

Labaran Maku

Hon. Commissioner for Information,

Youth and Sports,

Nasarawa State.