A former deputy senate president, Senator Ibrahim Nasiru Mantu, has described Nasarawa State governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, as a visionary leader who saw tomorrow.
Senator Mantu, a stalwart of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said other governors should visit Nasarawa to learn how Engineer Sule, is laying a solid foundation, for the state to become less dependent on federal allocation.
According to the former senate President, it’s high time states look inward, by developing their God given potentials, rather than running to Abuja, cap in hand, seeking for monthly federal subvention.
The PDP chieftain commended Engineer Sule, for being visionary and working hard to attract investors into the state, so that Nasarawa can begin to earn improved revenue from its abunadant raw materials that will be processed into finished products.
“We must look inward because we cannot continue to go to Abuja cap in hand at the end of the every month. The time has come for us to look inward and for each state to be economically viable,” Mantu stated.
Senator Mantu appealed to Engineer to ignore pessimists who are after quick fixes and who may even claim he is not doing anything, stressed that, industrialization has its incubation period but that by the time the companies coming to Nasarawa State, come onboard, the state will start flowing milk and honey.
Mantu then commended the governor’s exceptional patriotism when he left his opulent position in the United States, to come back to Nigeria, recalling that he was part of a team sent to America on talent hunt, for which Engineer Sule’s name came tops.
By returning to Nigeria, to not only succeed in the organized private sector, having reached the echelon by being the former Group Managing Director of the Dangote Group and now being the Governor of a state, Mantu noted that Engineer Sule remains a role model for exceptional Nigerians in diaspora, who may want to return home to help develop the country.
While lamenting that it takes persons of exceptional skills to be able to govern states in the North Central, because of conflicting interests, Mantu however appreciated Engineer Sule on his proactive approach to security issues, which he said, prevented Nasarawa from slipping to another crisis prone state like that of the North East.
Earlier, BoT Chairman, North Central Peoples Forum, Lt. Gen (Sen) Jeremiah Timbut Useni (rtd), said they were at the Government House, to perform the investiture ceremony of Engineer Sule, as the patron of the NCPF.
Lt. Gen (Sen) Useni, explained that the NCPF, will be the platform that will offer all six states and the Federal Capital Territory, the opportunity to present a united front, to speak on behalf of the zone.
The NCPF BoT Chairman added that, the forum will also ensure peace and stability, pursue rapid industrialization, as well as support good policies and administration of the six governors of the zone, irrespective of political, religious or ethnic differences, among others.
Responding, Engineer Sule appreciated members of the forum, especially its BoT chairman, for their efforts in uniting the people of the zone.
The governor, on behalf of his colleagues from the North Central, agreed for the NCPF, to represent the zone, with a view to creating an identity for the people of the zone.
While emphasizing the significance of unity and peace, the governor pointed that since his assumption into office, he has not relented in the bid to unite the people of Nasarawa State.
Engineer Sule agreed that states in the North Central, have no business relying on monthly federal subvention, only to pay salaries, stressing that states in the zone, have the capacity to self-reliant.
“We can’t afford to constantly depend on federal allocation, when we all the minerals to make us self-reliant. It makes us a beggar state, to recieve subvention at the end of the month, for payment of salaries only,” he stated.
Engineer Sule acknowledged that it took a lot of convincing for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, to make him leave the US and return Nigeria, stressed however that it was the best decision that he took.
