8th January, 2024
By NKRUMAH BANKONG-OBI/Lafia
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, George Akume has called on politicians in the Northcentral states to close ranks and work together in the bid to encourage development in the region.
Akume gave the advice on Saturday at an event to receive Senator Solomon Ewuga, a former Minister, and other politicians who returned to the governing All Progressives Congress, APC, in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital.
Speaking extempore, Akume acknowledged that “This zone (Northcentral) has a lot of opportunities waiting to be tapped,” calling on leaders of the component states to deplore internal cooperation as a strategy because “When we join hands together, we can have joint ventures among the states of the Northcentral.
“Instead of each state to have its cargo airport, one can be sufficient. We welcome Ewuga to the APC and we hope that with his coming, Nasarawa State will soon join the comity of states that will be generating good internal revenue and Nasarawa State will be indelible in the political history of our country.”
A former governor of Benue State and Minister, Akume described Nasarawa State as gifted. “Look at some of you who are seated here. You have the human resources. You have the mineral resources, you have fertile land. Coming together will help Nasarawa to move even faster in the area of development. And that is what our people need, that is what they want. You will fail them if you don’t do so,” he charged leaders of the State.
While calling on Ewuga to join hands with Governor Abdullahi Sule and others develop, Akume told his audience that he was vacating the elective position to instead, provide guidance to the upcoming leaders. “At my age, I don’t think I will seek any elective office again. My responsibility is to serve, to mentor the younger ones,” he said.
Abdullahi Ganduje, the national Chairman of the All Progressives Congress said the party will ensure a thorough reconciliation to bring back all members who left the fold due to one grievance or another. This fence-mending, if achieved, will position the Party to win future elections in the country. He described Ewuga as ‘long term friend who is an asset to the Party.”
Ganduje pledged that the APC under his watch will ensure that internal democracy is upheld, the party is ‘deepened and widened’ across the country.
In his address, Governor Sule described Ewuga as his ‘older brother and friend,’ and expressed optimism that with his return to APC, the Party would have absolute control of Nasarawa State politics.
He praised the National Chairman for the swift reconciliation ongoing in the Party as well as the SGF for helping President Bola Tinubu to stabilise the polity and provide good governance.
Former governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura who chaired the event called on the National Chairman to help Nasarawa State get its share of resources accruing to it, from the creation of the Federal Capital Territory.
He noted that as governor of Kano State, Ganduje had supported and played a role in the compensation of the State but that more needs to be done so that the State can be fully compensated. “I want to thank you and appreciate you. When I was governor of Nasarawa State, you were governor of Kano State. I remember with nostalgia how you tirelessly tried to help us in Nasarawa State. Some of the compensation that was supposed to be paid to the people of Nasarawa State when we were formerly in Plateau when FCT was created was not paid. And it took the encouragement of the National Chairman who was then the governor of Kano State to ensure that the compensation was paid to Nasarawa State. Unfortunately, not all was paid before I left office. So, I am appealing to you, Mr National Chairman, now that you are National Chairman, you are the number one APC member in Nigeria, and nobody is holding any position in this government that you cannot talk to. I will like to appeal to you, to hold our dear governor, Engineer A.A Sule to ensure that the balance of our compensation, since the creation of FCT is paid to Nasarawa State,” he appealed.
Responding, Ewuga who led former governorship candidates of other smaller parties, APC members who had defected to other Parties, said he was back to contribute his quota to the stability of Nasarawa State and join hands with Governor Sule to move the State forward,