At a time when condemnable criticisms from many Nigerians were trailing the reversal on the payment of N5,000 stipend promised to the unemployed and the vulnerable in the country by the government of All Progressives Congress, APC, the Nassarawa State Governor, Tanko Almakura has said the reversal was in order, saying no one can challenge it.
It will be recalled that the APC during the presidential campaigns in 2015 made a promise to pay minimum of N5,000 to the unemployed youth and less privileged in the country. But president Mohammadu Buhari while shuttling the Middle East last weekend made a U-turn, stating that the promise was not redeemable.
Instead, the president said that the money would be used to develop infrastructure, mining and agriculture to create employment. Speaking to State House correspondents after a meeting with the Vice President at the presidential villa on Monday, Almakura said that it was at the discretion of the president and in line with the current economic realities to review the issue.
He said: “The president is the person that can tell you precisely how he is working on promises and interventions that he has created by his ingenuity. And if at any point in time the president is reviewing that issue, I think he is the only person to do that because what he is doing is in the best interest of the country.
And so, it is not challengeable by anybody whatever his position.” On his mission to the villa, the governor said that he needed the intervention of the federal government in the power project to upgrade the current status of power generation in Nassarawa State.
He also stated that he briefed Vice President Yemi Osinabjo on the clashes between the Fulani herdsmen and the farmers. “Basically, I spoke with the Vice President about the issues of power and energy in my state. And as you must have known, Nasarawa State is very close to the federal capital territory.
I raised a lot of demands for power and energy for domestic and industrial purposes. And given the sophistication of this area in terms of different kinds of activities, and ironically, the state which was first connected to power in 1978, is still within 33KV which is not even enough for the state capital not to talk about other local government councils.
“So, I have come specifically to request and plead with Mr. Vice President and the chairman of NIPP about the impending power initiative in the country to consider Nasarawa State as one of the states that will benefit from the 330KV which is the robust infrastructure for power that comes all the way from Enugu to Benue and to Plateau States. It just passed beside the Government House but Nasarawa State has not been able to benefit.
“I have been on this struggle since 2012, but up till this time the state is still terribly deprived of power and he has listened to me. I believe that the people of Nasarawa State will heave a sigh of relief once the 330 Kva is done and another 132kva is connected to it for easy distribution. “Secondly, I have also discussed with Mr. Vice President about the security situation in my state and what effort we are making to bring everything to sanity.
Also, I am making effort with my colleague the governor of Benue state in having a joint effort to see what we can do to ensure that these long standing communal clashes between funlanis and farmers and Agatus in Nasarawa end Agatus in Benue to see that we will find a lasting solution to it”, he said.
Hinting on the response of the Vice President, the governor said “It was very fantastic and he assured us that they will see what the federal government can do to quickly ameliorate the problem and about the power, I got assurance from the Vice President that we will succeed.”
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