….Earmarks N950m to build markets, pay gratuity
Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, has disclosed that the state has joined other elite states in the country benefiting from the $10m each World Bank fiscal transparency grant.
Engineer Sule disclosed this while delivering a speech at a sensitization workshop organized by the National Population Commission, on Enumeration Area Demarcation, in Lafia, on Wednesday.
According to the Governor, even though the state has missed out on similar interventions previously, his administration is committed to exploiting every available intervention programme that is of benefit to the state.
Governor Sule announced that Nasarawa State has benefited from the World Bank State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SIFTAS), with his administration dedicating the funds for things that will make impact on the lives of the people.
He specifically said his administration will take N250m out of the money and as he earlier promised, to pay gratuity of retirees who may have lost hope of ever getting their entitlement, as well as N350m each for the construction of markets in Nasarawa Eggon and Akwanga.
“I am happy to tell you that Nasarawa State has just received its own $10m. I told the Accounant General not to touch it for everything else.
“That money will be dedicated for things that will make impact to the people of Nasarawa State, things that you can touch and feel,” he stated.
Engineer Sule added that even though the state lost out on several other intervention programme, Nasarawa has also recorded some success in some areas, with for instance, an organization of the United Nations, coming to Nigeria for the first time, selected Panda, in Karu Local Government Area, to build a school.
“There are so many other things that are coming up, that Nasarawa State is qualified but there are so many that we were losing.
“That is why we are not resting, we are following every of the intervention programme,” the Governor said.
He said his administration was lucky to have experts in development work, who are assisting the state in that direction.
