I’ll not take Sokoto money to build flyovers – Tambuwal

From Raji Bello, Sokoto

Governor of Sokoto state, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has vowed that he will not use the few resources accruing to the state to construct flyovers when people’s needs in areas of health, education and access roads are left unattended to.
Thisis even as he cautioned politicians to desist from using thugs to threaten the opposition during elections.
Addressing civil servants and heads of government agencies led by the Head of Service, Dr Buhari Kware Bello who paid him the traditional Sallah homage, Governor Tambuwal said the needs of Sokoto state were different from other states, particularly those commissioning bridges and flyovers.
“Our needs are completely different, states by states, and our priorities are not the same. I will not take Sokoto money to construct flyovers or bridges, these are not the priority of the state. Our priority are tailored to the needs of our people.
“What we need in Sokoto state, particularly for our people in the rural areas are not bridges, flyovers, which are projects in billions, but what they need are smaller projects like basic health clinics, cottage hospital, cottage industries, feeder roads, school infrastructure and scholarships to encourage learning,” he said.
The governor noted that “even when you add together the costs of providing these needs, it runs into billions, this is why we are focusing on them because this government wants to change all negative indices of development associated with the state in the past be it in education, health and other sectors.”
“When you look at what comes to the state from the federation account, it could hardly meet our needs, because we have a huge wage bill and the little from our IGR cannot foot projects that cost multi billions.
“We know some states around us that concentrate on huge projects, but we are reminding those comparing us that this administration will embark on projects and policies designed to meet the needs of the people and change the negative narration about the state for instance in area of education would be pursued with vigour.
He explained that efforts have been intensified in the past three years to spread projects on small scale to the rural areas in areas of health, education, construction of feeder roads and award of scholarships, which he noted were in billions that her still outstanding.
Governor Tambuwal stressed the need to change the negative narration about the state in developmental indices such as in education of her citizens,
He assured the civil servants of prompt payment of salaries and allowances, which he said are statutory, while other incentives would be work out to further mobilize them for render optimal service to the state.
He ascribed the achievements of his administration to the proactive and support received from the bureaucracy, noting that attending to the needs of the civil servants was a sure way of reducing corruption in public service.
Dr Bello praised the governor for making payment of salaries and allowances if workers a priority and pledged the support of the workers to execute state programmes successfully.
Addressing members of the All Progressive Congress(APC) led by the state party chairman, ALHAJI ISA Sadiq Achida, Governor Tambuwal advised politicians not to I use thugs before, during and after elections to intimidate opposition.