Arc. Mohammed Namadi Sambo has expressed his sincere appreciation to the Federal Government in graciously granting Kaduna State Government the usage of the 30MV power to be generated at Gurara Water Transfer Project

From SA on ICT, Kaduna

Feb 7,  2008

PRESS STATEMENT

The Executive Governor of Kaduna State Arc. Mohammed Namadi Sambo has expressed his sincere appreciation to the Federal Government in graciously granting Kaduna State Government the usage of the 30MV power to be generated at Gurara Water Transfer Project and  indicated the State Government’s readiness to construct a power sub-station in the State to evacuate and distribute power that will be generated from the Gurara Water Transfer Scheme.

The Governor also disclosed that the government has commenced the utilization of over 30 earth-dams built in the State by the Federal Government, for irrigation.

Speaking when he visited the Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources Dr Sayyadi Abba Ruma in his office, the Executive Governor said that the Government have sought the approval of the Ministry to appoint the project consultant for Gurara Power Project to help the government in the design of the power sub-station at Kaduna Industrial Area on evacuation from Gurara Power Plant.

According to him, the State Government considered the expertise of the project consultants in the area to help to produce the engineering designs, supervise the construction and commission the sub-station.

Governor Sambo noted that the State Government has awarded contract for four irrigation schemes to be completed by the end of this year, while four others will soon be awarded. Twelve more irrigation schemes will be awarded in 2008.

He expressed appreciation to the President for his decision to assist Kaduna State in evacuating excess grains from farmers which have hitherto discouraged farmers in the State from producing.

He noted that the President’s decision has spurred farmers in the State back to action and they are diligently putting all efforts in place to produce more grains.

Governor Sambo congratulated the Minister and his Minister of State, Alhaji Adamu Waziri for their appointments which he said was as a result of their stand on fairness hard work, transparency and their contribution to nation building.

The Governor also informed the Honourable Minister that he intends to liaise with the Ministry in the preparation of its 2008 Budget in order to avoid areas of duplication and allow a scientific and functional allocation of resources.

Responding, the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources Dr. Sayyadi Abba Ruma commended the State Government for putting into use the 34 earth-dams constructed in the State by the Federal Government.

He called on other state governors to emulate the gesture of the Kaduna State Government towards making sufficient and adequate utilization of projects that are bequeathed as legacies to their respective states because from the presentation so far a number of states have not converted these facilities into productive use.

The Minister disclosed that the President has approved the sum of N2.5 billion for the purchase of excess grains, adding that Kaduna State has been identified as one of the major producing states of millet, sorghum and expressed the hope that the state Fall within the first phase of the Strategic Grains Purchase Programme.

The Ministry, he said, will soon write directly to state governors to take cognizance of the Federal Government policy directives towards repositioning cooperatives and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and farmers to take advantage of government policy initiatives.

He told the Governor that the Federal Government is making concerted efforts towards taking bold steps to come up with a concrete partnership paradigm that will increasingly involve state governments towards repositioning agriculture in the country.

He commended the Governor for declaring a state-of-emergency for human capital transformation on agriculture and expressed the hope that agriculture would receive the deserved attention in the policy re-engineering for transforming Kaduna State.

Governor Arch Mohammed Namadi Sambo is a true democrat, whose approach to problems is always humane and conciliatory he is a man of peace who patiently looked to the future with courage and hope. His commitment in the direction of transforming the state into a relatively better integrated and functional polity is continuing  with a mission  to create a stable  and cohesive polity capable of securing effectively the interests of the various communities and giving them the opportunity to develop and live in peace  with one another.

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