By Francis Nansak, Lafia
With few weeks into the first one year of their three-year tenures, chairmen of the 13 local government areas (LGAs) in Nasarawa state have been gifted official cars by the Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule.
He said on Wednesday that he distributed brand new vehicles to the local government chairmen in a bid to facilitate the discharge of their responsibilities.
While appreciating the council chairmen for their patience, having came into office in October last year, the Governor however cautioned them against trading off the vehicles.
He said, “These are vehicles that should help you in carrying out your responsibilities. It’s not vehicles that somebody can take and trade off. We want to see you with these vehicles, doing your work. It’s for you to do your work and I commend you and thank you for your patience,” he stated.
Engineer Sule specifically thanked the council chairmen for their patience, having waited until promotion is implemented at the local government level.
He noted that, even though there are still challenges of full implementation of promotions at the local government level, still, for a chairman elected for a three-year term, to be patient enough and to get a vehicle after one year in office, is commendable.
“We are supposed to give them vehicles as they came into the office, because vehicles are really a necessity for the work that they are doing. We asked them to be patient until we can at least promote the staff of the local government.
“They were patient enough. We went through all the process. I know we are still having few challenges at the local government level, with the implementation of the full promotion. The good thing is that they have been patient enough through this process,” the Governor added.
Engineer Sule assured that distribution of vehicles is a process that will continue.
“We started with the commissioners, other aides, traditional rulers,so it’s a continuous thing. We just did for security last month. Very soon we will do overseers and other traditional rulers,” he said.
In a welcome address, state Commissioner for Ministry of Local Government, Community Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon Yusuf Aliyu Turaki, commended the Governor for his commitment in ensuring that government functionaries are strengthened in order to ensure effective and efficient service delivery at the grassroots.
According to the commissioner, the gesture will further enhance democratic dividends to the people of the state, including public and civil servants.
In a vote of thanks and on behalf of the 13 council chairmen, Chairman, Lafia Local Government Area, Hon Aminu Muazu Maifata, appreciated Engineer Sule for his continuous advice and guidance which saw to the chairmen getting brand new cars.
Hon Maifata, who doubles as the Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), recounted how the governor adviced the council chairmen against taking loans only to buy fairly used vehicles.
“Your Excellency, we are very happy and saying thank you because I can remember in February, when we met you on the issue of official vehicles, that time we were looking at Tokumbo cars for the chairmen.
“You advised us against taking loans to procure Tokumbo cars. As you rightly said, we decided to be patient. When we came to you again, you adviced us towards saving or paying in instalments to enable the government procure these vehicles,” the ALGON chairman said.
Hon Maifata equally assured that the council chairmen will utilize the vehicles for the purposes they are meant for.