Governor Sule reels out itinerary for President Tinubu’s visit

…appeals for support, decorum

Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has outlined the timeline of activities marking the visit of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital billed for tomorrow.

Governor Sule announced the timeline when he met with critical stakeholders from across the state, as part of preparations to give President a rousing reception, which held at the Government House on Monday.

The Governor particularly used the opportunity of the meeting to appeal to the stakeholders to prevail on their supporters and associates on the need to not only observe decorum but to also turned out enmasse to welcome the President.

Outlining the timeline of activities, he explained that there will be three major and other sideline events lined up for President Tinubu on arrival on Wednesday.

He listed the commissioning of the Lafia interchange, both the flyover and underpass, which the stakeholders agreed should be named after President Tinubu, a visit to the palace of the Emir of Lafia, as well as the distribution of armoured vehicles and pickups vehicles numbering about 60 to security agencies, empowerment of selected youths with 50 electric tricycles, and distribution of tractors and implements to farmers, as a side event to hold at the Lafia Square.

Other major events set out to be performed by President Tinubu include, the commissioning of the dualized Shendam Road, commissioning of the new secretariat complex, as well as attending a reception to be hosted at the late Aliyu Akwe Doma Banquet Hall.

While commissioning the secretariat, other side events to be witnessed by the President include a tour of the 1 megawatt solar mini-grid installed as a major source of power, inspecting the only charging station for electric vehicles established by one of the lithium mining companies operating in the state, as well as another empowerment programme by the Minister for Women Affairs, Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim.

He particularly called on the governorship aspirants in the state on the need to restrain their supporters and not to cause unnecessary tension while the President is visiting.

“Like I said, the President was kind enough to accept our invitation and, he is coming. So I invite you to come and help join us in receiving Mr. President . I have seen how he is being received in other places and I want us to also do the best we can irrespective of party and who we are; it good for us to jointly receive Mr. President to show him that we are a people that believe in our own state.

“I urge you to call on all our supporters, restrict them from arguing with each other, confronting each other or anything like that during these period – because, the two places that I have visited, I did not see anything like that and so, I don’t want us to have rowdy atmosphere in Nasarawa.

“That is why I said aspirants irrespective of party, every one of them should be invited to this meeting. We plead that the period for politicking is not yet on as INEC and the parties have not yet sounded the bell for campaigns to start,” he stated.

Governor Sule used the opportunity of the meeting to condole with his colleagues in Benue, Borno, Plateau, and Kaduna States over the recent unfortunate incidences which led to the loss of lives.

“I am happy once more to thank everyone of you for your support and for the peace that we continue to enjoy in Nasarawa State. Because it is only when there is peace that we receiving the recognition that we are receiving today throughout the country.

“I also use the opportunity once more to send our sincere condolences to my brother, Governor Alia, the SGF and all the good people of Benue over the recent incidents that resulted into the loss of lives. Unfortunately, we are having similar situations in Plateau where some innocent people were killed. We send our sincere condolences to both the Governor of Kaduna, who lost his own people, and the Governor of Plateau where the incident took place. Unfortunately again, two days ago, we had another incidence in Borno so we send our sincere condolences to our brother, Governor Zulum because of all these things that are happening,” he said.

The Governor expressed special appreciation to the stakeholders for supporting his administration towards ensuring relative peace prevails in the state.

“In Nasarawa State we continue to experience peace and I must continue to thank you, thank my own team for all the work that we continue to do, thank our royal fathers for the support they continue to give, our religious leaders, community leaders, our members of the assembly, starting with the Speaker, our judiciary for the support that we continue to receive and nearly everyone of you that we have called on you one way or the other and you are there to give us that support.

“I think that is giving us the good name that we have and that is what is giving us the approach that we have,” he added.

Stakeholders that attended the meeting include, State Deputy Governor and Chaiman Planning Committee for the Presidential visit, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe, Speaker and members of the state assembly, two former governors of the state, namely, Senators Abdullahi Adamu and Umaru Tanko Al-makura, present and former national assembly members, former deputy governors, governorship aspirants from across political parties, the Emir of Lafia, HRH Justice Sidi Bage Muhammad III, Secretary to the Government of Nasarawa State, Labaran Shuaibu Magaji, PhD, amongst others.