The four governors who won LEADERSHIP’s Governor Of the Year Award for 2023 have received commendation from different quarters who say they are deserving of the recognition.
Oyo State commissioner for information and civic orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, has applauded the management of LEADERSHIP Newspapers for recognising a performing governor, Seyi Makinde, as its Governor of the Year 2023.
Oyelade, who spoke with our correspondent in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, expressed confidence in Makinde’s ability to continually put the state among top performing states in the country.
Oyelade said the award was well-deserved for a governor who was investing in infrastructural development to keep up with the growing population of his state, creating jobs in both the formal and informal sectors, and ensuring Oyo is among the top five states in Nigeria with year-on-year growth in internally generated revenue (IGR), all without introducing difficult taxes.
“Governor Oluwaseyi Abiodun Makinde deserves being the Governor of the Year 2023”, he said. “We thank LEADERSHIP Newspaper for the due recognition of our exceptional Governor in Oyo State, Engr. Oluwaseyi Makinde, a performing governor.
“Here is a governor who has ensured that the economic template of Oyo State is competing keenly with those of Lagos, Rivers and Kano, and will do so much effectively in the coming years, especially with his friendly investment policies and capitalising on the arable land mass of Oyo State,” he said.
Also, major stakeholders in Niger State government are upbeat over the award of the Governor of the Year on the state governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, by LEADERSHIP Newspapers.
Some of the stakeholders said the recognition coming barely a year into his first tenure indicates that Bago is a true choice of the people.
Political adviser to the governor, Alhaji Mohammed Nma Kolo, said,” The award from a credible news media like LEADERSHIP speaks volumes, and we appreciate the recognition from the newspaper.
“This is the first time LEADERSHIP will be giving an award to a governor in Niger State despite being a newspaper so much associated with the state. Now that they found the governor worthy of the award, it is unprecedented and truly a beckon for a new Niger,” he said.
On his part, the chief press secretary to the governor, Bologi Ibrahim, said: “We feel great by the recognition by LEADERSHIP, especially as we did not see it coming. No administration has been so ambitious about the development of the state; now we have close to N300 billion infrastructure projects ongoing.
“We are grateful to LEADERSHIP for this recognition. We urge the newspaper to continue to support us and be partners in the ongoing drive for a new Niger with a lot of possibilities under Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago.”
Similarly, Benue natives have been reacting positively to the award conferred on the state governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, by LEADERSHIP Media Group Limited
In her reaction, a pensioner, Mrs Winifred Usaka, said Fr. Alia had started on a good note.
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“He has revived all pensioners who, before now, were referred to as dead people by the previous administration, but with the coming of Alia, within a short time, we have been resurrected like the bones in the Bible. So we, the pensioners in Benue State, are saying ‘Yes Father’ and that he deserves more awards.”
Another pensioner, Janet Amiseh, described Governor Alia as a fantastic man.
“Alia is God sent to the people of Benue State, not only pensioners; he came, liberated and resurrected pensioners from their graves, and even civil servants are smiling every month with their families. We are being paid every 23rd of the month before civil servants; our arrears, we gathered reliably, are on the way. We pensioners are proud of Alia any day any time and prayed for more wins. We can say that the governor deserves this award and more are coming,” she said.
For the chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Benue State branch, Dr. Ushakuma Anenga, the award conferred on the governor by LEADERSHIP Newspapers is well deserved, even as he described Governor Alia as man of his words.
“The governor within the short period of his administration has hit the ground running through his numerous achievement,s especially in the healthcare delivery system.
“You will agree with me that the governor, in less than two months in office, paid the Medical Residency Retraining Funds 2023. He was the first to pay that Fund at the revised rate and he actually paid before the federal government and that was quite commendable.
The governor has also resurrected the bond scheme which the medical students were enjoying before, and this means that the bond will be paid monthly to enable them work for the state for a few years after graduation,” he said, describing the gesture as another milestone.
He enumerated other ongoing projects by Governor Alia to include the construction of 16 streets, donation of 100 brand new buses to Benue Links Company, and lighting of streets in Makurdi metropolis, among other laudable projects.
Governor Umar Dikko Radda’s nomination for the Governor of the Year award by the LEADERSHIP Group Limited has been described as a well-deserved award.
The commissioner for information and culture of the state, Dr. Bala Salisu Zango, made the comment while reacting to his nomination yesterday.
He said “The governor deserves this award considering the effort he has made in transforming the state within the short period of his administration.
“We consider how he has improved the security situation of the state, his effort in the education sector, water sector, health and so many areas to mention but few.
“There is no other governor in the state and nation at large like him, to me, as far as I’m concerned, considering his successes within just six months.”
Similarly, the commissioner for internal security and home affairs, Dr Nasiru Mua’zu Danmusa, said the governor merits the award, describing the governor as a very pragmatic personality who always appreciates every aspect of governance.
“He carries everybody along and has toured every community just to let them understand that he means to deliver the best leadership to the state.
“The award means a lot to him because it is a way of appreciating someone’s effort, the way to tell someone you are right on track, It the way to also show the governor is in tune with what leadership requires; it also means the governor is poised to serve the people and it also shows that the votes given to him were not wasted,” he said.
Also, the director-general, media, to the governor, Mawada Dan-mallam, said the LEADERSHIP Governor of the Year award clinched by Katsina State Governor did not come to him as a surprise.
“The revolutionary leadership style of Governor Radda, as made clear by his pragmatic approach to issues, certainly, should attract the approval of LEADERSHIP Newspapers whose uncompromising critiquing template remains as strong and consistent as the ideals and purposefulness of its founder, the late Mr. Sam Nda Isaiah,” he said.
