SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF KADUNA STATE ARC MOHAMMED NAMADI SAMBO (fnia)  AT THE OCCASION OF THE 2008 AFAN NATIONAL FESTIVAL IN KAGORO KADUNA STATE ON 1^ST JANUARY 2008

PROTOCOL

I wish to use this medium to thank Almighty God for sparing our lives to witness the beginning of a new year; a year full of promises, hopes and expectations. The year 2007 has been very eventful but also it is the year we had cause to prepare towards the speedy and timely implementation of our planned programmes of action. We have within the previous year touched on all our Eleven Point Agenda in which like a flower will begin to blossom this year.

Next month God’s willing, we hope to launch the security outfit which we fashioned out and codenamed “Operation Yaki”. This is part of our security arrangement to secure lives and property of the citizenry. Our Free Medical Services for Pregnant Women and Children has since commenced and currently in operation. The Compulsory Free Primary Education has been launched and will be implemented fully this year.

Contracts have been awarded towards the construction of Dams for ensuring sufficiency in water supply, power generation and irrigation scheme.

Workers welfare has been greatly enhanced. We have honoured our obligation by paying the 15% increase to workers across the State. We have had cause to add 5% as salary increase to classroom teachers in the State. The salaries, emoluments and perquisites of medical personnel has been greatly reviewed upward with a view to giving them a sense of belonging and wooing them to serve the good people of the State.

By our quest to provide infrastructural facilities to our teeming population, high valued contracts in the educational as well as other sectors have been released with the attendant gains being enjoyed by our citizens towards enhancing their financial status and improving their standard of living after observing due process certification before such awards.

There is no better place and time to say this than now, that the AFAN Festival’s theme which is “Culture, Tourism and Development.” is in line with our efforts to transform Kagoro to a modern city, accordingly, we have resolved to site a tourist attraction and centre to be known as Kagoro Hills Holiday Resort. Project consultants have already been appointed and the project will gulp a whopping sum of USD14 million and shall be jointly financed by the State as well as the Japanese Governments.

To reciprocate Government’s gesture in this regard, community efforts should be geared towards identifying developmental initiatives that will facilitate the coming into being of this project.

Among other projects and roads to be constructed in this area, the one that has been identified for immediate implementation is the Tum-Madakiya road. Government has since taken steps to ensure its award and completion soonest.

Similarly, BATC Kagoro and the school built by Hon Gideon Gwani have been identified as institution’s needing Government’s attention to which all machineries have been put in place for taking prompt action on them.

Rural electrification will also receive a boost with the provision of hydro-electric power generation in the State. This is with a view to generating the planned 200 mega watts electricity for the complete industrialization of the State. This will completely lead to socio-economic development and industrial growth. Additionally, Government has advanced a colossal amount of money towards ensuring that the micro-finance banks are functional and will assist small scale entrepreneurs and our un-employed youths to stand on their feet through the provision of repayable financial assistance at a reasonable period of time. The resultant effect shall be youth employment and poverty eradication in the State.

The construction of the Makarfi Modern City is also partly to decongest the ever-congested Kaduna metropolis with a view to providing a model city and a befitting tourist attraction. Plan for the city master plan as well as those of Kafanchan, Kaduna and Zaria cities are nearing completion. This will assist greatly in providing social amenities to these towns and cities and will uplift the living standard of the inhabitants.

Our commitment towards the establishment of democracy and democratic institutions remain steadfast and unshaken. The basic tenets of the advancement of democracy which is respect for rule of law, provision of democratic dividends and respect for other democratic institutions remain our guiding principle. Accordingly, we shall continue to encourage our citizens to champion their desire for self-determination. Our motive is to serve the good people of Kaduna State and leave a lasting and enduring legacy that will stand the test of time.

Our resolve to transform AFAN festival to international standard is gradually inching with the planned construction of the Kagoro Hills Holiday Resort.

We are worried with the information dissemination mechanism especially in this part of the State. This year God’s willing we shall compliment the efforts of other media organs and shall ensure Government’s programmes and action reaches you properly, adequately and timely. Towards this end, the activities of the Kaduna State Media Corporation shall be reviewed and enhanced to meet the yearnings and aspiration of the people of this area.

The issue of the Kafanchan Campus of the Kaduna State University is receiving the universities attention preparatory to being forwarded to Government for necessary action. The university authorities are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the campus comes into fruition.

I will at this juncture thank the organizers of this event and hope that they shall continue to provide such festivities the added fanfare and colour that is being witnessed today.

I pray that we will have a prosperous and enduring new year ahead.

Thank you and God bless.

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.