Nigerian Newsday

Nasarawa State Deputy Governor, Chief John Mike Abdul, has said that the on-going independent power plant project at Farin Ruwa Development Area of the state would serve as a spring board for the economic development of the state.

The deputy governor stated this when he received participants of the Senior Executives Course 30 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru, Plateau State, who paid him a courtesy call in his office as part of their study tour to the state.

He said, “the hydro-electric power plant is a token of the state government’s contribution to the Federal Government in the area of power supply, which is one of the focal points of President Umaru Yar’adua’s 7-points development agenda”.

The deputy governor noted that electric power has the potency of reducing poverty and empower Nigerians, adding that the state government was working assiduously to see to the completion of the Farin Ruwa power plant.

Chief Abdul further informed his guests of the huge potentials of solid minerals, agriculture and tourism destinations that abound in the state, saying that government was doing all it could towards improving the fortunes of these sectors.

He urged investors to take advantage of the opportunity offered by government in the tourism sector in the state by setting up industries to process such agricultural and solid minerals products.

He urged the participants to take advantage of their visit to the state to see things for themselves.

Earlier, the leader of the delegation of Senior Executive Course 30, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru, Professor J. K. Opadiran, said their visit was to enable them assess strategic institutions in the six geo-political zones of the country with the independent power plant at Farin Ruwa as their prime focus in Nasarawa State.

Professor Opadiran who is the Director of Studies at NIPPS said the theme of this year’s study tour is “Towards a Road Map to National Development: Vision 2020 and the 7 – point Agenda” of the president Yar’Adua administration.

He expressed the hope that their visit would make them learn about the Farin Ruwa Power Project .

Prof. Opadiran observed that power was no longer the exclusive concern of Federal Government as some states have embarked on independent power projects to compliment the Federal Government’s efforts in meeting the energy demands of the country.

Notable participants on the tour include, Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu, former chairman of Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and Alhaji Abdul Zango of the Presidency, Abuja among others.

Govt to boost agriculture

Ma’aji Dandaura

Nasarawa State Government has awarded contract worth N200 million for the construction of yams and sweet potatoes conditioning centre in Keffi.

Similarly, the state government has spent N29 million for the refurbishing of the Nasarawa State Agricultural Development Project (NADP).

The state commissioner for information and orientation, Alhaji Abdullahi Mustapha Aliyu, disclosed this to journalists in Lafia, recently.

He said the state governor, Alhaji Aliyu Akwe Doma, has stepped up the cultivation of sesame seed to launch the state into sesame seed world market, adding that the government in its bid to safe guard livestock and poultry against all forms of diseases, has expended the sum of N6 million on mass vaccination campaign across the state.

According to the commissioner, the ministry of commerce, industries and co-operatives has disbursed N2 million to entrepreneurs across the state to activate economic activities.

He said the ministry was also able to create an enabling environment for private sector participation in the industrialization drive of the state, adding that the ministry has established industrial layouts at Masaka, Karu, Akwanga and Lafia.

The commissioner explained that the Masaka industrial layout has been fully utilized, ostensibly on account of its proximity to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, while the Akwanga layout which houses the Nasara Sacks Firm, produces sacks and other packaging materials in a customized way” to the people.

On solid minerals, the commissioner said out of the three principal minerals being prospected in Nasarawa State, only granite has been approved for mining and exploration by the Federal ministry for solid minerals development.

He said the present administration accorded priority to education, “and it was for this reason that the state Governor, Alhaji Doma, on assumption of office, approved the release of N2.8 million as counterpart funding to facilitate the effective take -off of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) scheme in the state”.

Alhaji Aliyu stated that as part of government’s effort to create a conducive learning environment for schools pupils, it has provided collapsible chairs worth millions of Naira to primary and secondary schools in the state.

The commissioner stated that the state government also spent N160 million in settling all outstanding arrears of students allowances both within and outside the country, and “ordered for the quarterly release of N7.5 million feeding of students in boarding schools across the state”.

According to the commissioner, the state government has expended over N241 million on the procurement of vaccines, oxygen gas, needles, syringes and immunization campaign as well as renovation of school of nursing and midwifery, Lafia and school of health technology, Keffi, in its effort to improve the health sector.

He said the Nasarawa State urban renewal programme was initiated by the government to ensure the rapid development of the state, pointing out that the body responsible for the implementation of the programme would be adequately funded and equipped for the task ahead.