Gov Sule Commissions PHC, Road in Lafia, Reaffirms LG Autonomy

By Gambo Ahmed, Lafia

Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, on Monday commissioned a Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) and a road constructed by the Lafia Local Government Council, reaffirming that local councils in the state enjoy autonomy in managing their resources and executing development projects.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony in Lafia, Sule said his administration had provided local governments with considerable financial and administrative independence since he assumed office in 2019.

The governor dismissed the impression that local government autonomy in Nasarawa State began under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying councils in the state had been managing their resources and undertaking projects long before the recent national push for greater local government autonomy.

“Today, we have reached a peak of projects. This is the way to make an impact in the lives of the people,” Sule said.

He commended the Chairman of Lafia Local Government Council, Alhaji Haliru Arabo, for constructing and equipping the healthcare facility without financial support from the state government.

Sule urged the council chairman to remain focused on delivering development projects despite criticism.

According to the governor, he had, in recent days, commissioned roads constructed by local governments in Wamba, Akwanga, Nasarawa-Eggon and Doma, describing the projects as being built to high standards by reputable contractors.

The governor also announced that work would soon resume on the abandoned Kwandere-Karshi road.

He said the project would be upgraded from surface dressing to a standard asphalt road with a stone base at an estimated cost of about N40 billion, following negotiations that reduced the initial cost from more than N50 billion.

Also speaking, the Nasarawa State Commissioner for Health, Dr Gaza Gwamna, described the newly commissioned PHC as a Level 2 facility designed to provide essential healthcare services, including immunisation, malaria treatment, antenatal care and delivery services.

Gwamna said independent verifiers from the Federal Ministry of Health had assessed primary healthcare centres in Nasarawa State and found some of them comparable to general hospitals in other areas, particularly in terms of staffing.

In his welcome address, Arabo said the new PHC would serve residents of the Government Reserved Area and surrounding communities, which previously had no healthcare facility within the area.

He said the projects were inspired by Governor Sule’s advice to elected officials to focus on leaving lasting legacies through infrastructure and services that directly improve the lives of residents.