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- We continue to stride
forward
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- SPEECH
BY EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF NASARAWA STATE, ALHAJI ABDULLAHI ADAMU (SARKIN
YAKIN KEFFI) ON THE OCCASION OF SIGNING INTO LAW THE 2001 STATE
APPROPRIATION BILL, NASARAWA STATE UNIVERSITY BILL AND SWEARING IN
OF A SPECIAL ADVISER ON SECURITY AFFAIRS, WEDNESDAY 24 JANUARY
2001.
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- His
Excellency The Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State
- The
Hon. Speaker, Nasarawa State House of Assembly
- My
Lord the Chief Judge of Nasarawa State
- My
Lord the Grand Khadi Sharia Court of Appeal
- MY
Lord the President of the Customary Court of Appeal
- Members
of the State Executive and Security Councils
- The
Chairman of Our Great Party, the PDP
- Members
of Nasarawa State House of Assembly
- Special
Advisers
- The
Secretary to the State Government
- Head
of Service
- Permanent
Secretaries
- Chairmen
and Chief Executives of Boards and Parastatals
- Heads
of Extra Ministerial Departments
- Chairmen
of Local Government Councils
- Your
Royal Highnesses, Emirs and Chiefs
- Distinguished
Invited Guests
- Members
of the Press
- Ladies
and Gentlemen
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- Today,
we are gathered to witness one of democracy’s most hallowed
rituals, the occasion for assenting into law of the Fiscal Year
2001 appropriation bill, which has been duly passed by the
Legislative Arm of Government, the State House of Assembly.
And the bill for the establishment of Nasarawa State
University, which has also gone through the legislative process,
and has been passed by the House.
-
 There
can be no better evidence of the inherent advantages of democracy
over dictatorship than this constitutional guarantee for
accountability and transparency enshrined in the principle of
separation of powers which ensures that the executive arm of
government must submit its public expenditure proposals, and key
policy initiatives, to the elected representatives of the people
for thorough scrutiny and approval. -
- This
cardinal constitutional provision is a refreshing and reassuring
departure from years of dictatorship during which the whims of the
prevailing strongmen became law, and the people had no say on how
their resources were expended.
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- Today,
no single individual, no matter how powerful, or highly placed,
can embark on expenditure of public funds without the due approval
of the elected representatives of our people in the various
parliaments spread across the country.
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- The
process may not yet be perfect, or even fully appreciated in many
parts of the federation, but in the long run, it will surely lead
to better accountability, transparency and frugal management of
public resources.
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- In
Nasarawa State, the process has already led to better results.
In less than two years we have delivered services to our
people on a scale that dwarfs all the previous efforts made under
the first three years of military rule.
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- After
just one operational budget, Nasarawa State has witnessed under
our democratic administration, widespread improvements in all key
social sectors.
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-
- We
have delivered on our promise to ensure quick and progressive
expansion of educational opportunities for our children.
The school system at all levels has witnessed the most
extensive and massive renewal in the history of our communities.
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- We
have established three key tertiary institutions in the state
since assumption of office, and today I have just signed into law
the bill establishing the Nasarawa State University which by the
grace of Allah shall become operational between this year and
2002. Government has
already constituted a committee for the implementation of the
multi-campus university to meet our future manpower needs.
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- The
health sector which was virtually nonexistent when we took over
the reigns of power, has become fully operational with progressive
increase in the number and quality of primary and secondary
healthcare delivery infrastructure.
Whereas our administration inherited just 19 healthcare
centres from all previous governments since independence over
forty yeas ago, we have raised the number in less than two years
to 67 healthcare centres evenly spread across the state.
-
- Our
objective is to meet the World Health Organisation’s standard
prescription of a functional healthcare centre within five
kilometres of every community.
Our efforts in the health sector, as in education, include
steady manpower recruitment and training to ensure quality
delivery of services to our people.
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- Our
rural communities have continued to witness rapid and progressive
supply of key social services hitherto considered as the exclusive
preserve of cities alone. Today,
electricity and water supply have become common features in many
of our rural and semi-urban communities.
We have also embarked on an extensive construction of rural
and urban road network never before experienced in our state.
-
- It
is to consolidate and expand our development programmes and
initiatives for the state that I on November 28, 2000 presented
before the House of Assembly a budget proposal for the year 2001,
tagged “the budget of sustenance.”
-
- In
that presentation, the Executive Arm of Government proposed to
spend a total of N9,784,280,000.00 (nine billion, seven hundred
and eighty-four million, two hundred and eighty thousand naira
only) for the financial year 2001.
This consists of a recurrent expenditure of
N4,393,460,370.00(four billion, three hundred and ninety-three
million, four hundred and sixty thousand, three hundred and
seventy naira only), and a capital expenditure of
N5,430,819,630.00(five billion, four hundred and thirty million,
eight hundred and nineteen thousand, six hundred and thirty
hundred naira) only.
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- It
is gratifying to note that the House of Assembly not only treated
the appropriation bill expeditiously and strenuously, it increased
the final figure approved for the services of Nasarawa State for
the year 2001 by N40,000,000.00( forty million Naira only).
-
- Thus
the honourable house, based on its wisdom and proven needs, raised
the recurrent expenditure for the current fiscal year to the sum
of four billion, three hundred and ninety three thousand, four
hundred and sixty thousand, three hundred and seventy Naira
(N4,393,460,370.00 ) only.
-
- This
brings the total appropriation figure for the year 2001 to
N9,824,280,000.00 (nine billion, eight hundred and twenty four
million, two hundred and eighty thousand Naira) only.
I am happy to state that the executive arm fully
appreciates the justification for this increase, and permit me to
thank the Hon Speaker and members of the House for their
foresight.
-
- Compared
to most states in our neighbourhood, and in the federation, our
budget is among the smallest.
This is a reflection of the population figures which
undercounts Nasarawa state, as well as the low internal income
generation capacity of our State at the moment.
-
- But
as I have stated at every opportunity in the past, our resources
may be comparatively small, but our determination and commitment
to lift up our state is strong.
Development is not just a function of how much cash you
have, but also a function of your leadership ability and
determination to deploy your resources to purposeful ends.
-
- That
is why Japan and many European and Asian countries which are
relatively less endowed than Nigeria have left us behind on the
ladder of development. Nasarawa
State under our leadership is determined to deploy our meagre
resources carefully to maximum results.
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- To
do so we are resolved to exercise prudent budgetary discipline to
ensure that we remain on target and realize our dreams outlined in
the budget plan for the year.
Towards this end all Ministries and departments of
Government must ensure that they are governed by the provisions of
the budget as it applies to them.
All requests for approvals must be accompanied by the
approved votes to ensure we keep to our plans for the year.
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- I
am aware that we are a new state in a hurry to develop and to meet
our many needs. But
we cannot reach our targets unless we chose them carefully and
remain on course. Budgetary
discipline is the key to reaching our development goals.
-
- Mr.
Speaker, members of the House, distinguished ladies and gentlemen.
Permit me to conclude this address by placing on record the
exemplary display of patriotism and dedication to duty by our
legislators, without which the success stories we have enumerated
here will have been impossible to attain.
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- The
record speed with which our Assembly have scrutinised and passed
our appropriation bills in the last two years has is one of the
key factors responsible for the successes this administration has
recorded to the admiration of many across the country.
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- Whereas
in some states, the executive and legislative arms of government
have turned the principle of separation of powers into an arena
for bickering and disruption of the democratic process of good
governance and delivery of services to the people, in Nasarawa
State, we have been lucky to witness steady cooperation between
the two arms of government. This
has consolidated our democracy, and has ensured that at all times
we remain focused on our mandate to deliver services to our
people.
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- Our
detractors would wish that we engage each other in pitched battles
to show that we respect the principle of separation of powers.
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- They
keep looking for every opportunity to set the House against the
Executive, and vice-versa. They
exploit every little crack to burrow into our concrete wall of
cooperation, just to detract us from our mutual responsibilities
to our people.
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- They
taunt members of the House for not fighting the Executive Arm of
Government, and turn round to peck the Executive for allegedly
giving in too much to the House.
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- Our
detractors are disappointed that we have not given room to their
machinations. And by the grace of Allah, they will continue to be
disappointed because the People’s Democratic Party in the State
is determined to run a model democratic government based on mutual
respect and harmony between and among the three arms of
government.
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- This
continued show of patriotism, maturity and foresight by our
Legislators is highly commendable, given the relatively harsh
conditions under which they have had to operate for most the
period. It is also a
function of our clear and mutual understanding of the principle of
separation of powers, which calls not for separatism and endless
quarrels and gridlocks, but for mutual cooperation and shared
constitutional responsibilities to the electorate by both arms of
government.
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- Mutual
respect and mutual understanding of each other’s roles is the
key to normal and harmonious relationship that has existed between
the two arms of government in our state.
It is also the key to the success of democracy in our
country. I commend
our experience to other parts of the federation.
I want to reassure members the House of the determination
of the Executive Arm to government to reciprocate their good
gestures by ensuring a transparent and accountable execution of
all our plans for the state.
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- Let
me once again seize this opportunity to reassure our People that
the PDP administration in our state is determined to fulfil all
its promises to the electorate.
We will continue to advance the frontiers of development in
other to improve the condition of living of our people in both the
urban and rural areas.
We will continue to work hard to ensure that we leave our
state much better than we met it.
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- I
thank every citizen of our state for the continued support,
cooperation and understanding.
Remain assured that this administration will not waver from
its determined path of even development, and good governance to
ensure a brighter future for our children.
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- Thank
you, and God Bless.
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- NB,
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- Kindly
note that the name of the special adviser that was sworn in is
Mal. Othman Aboki
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