Gov Sule says LGAs Enjoying Autonomy, Inaugurates PHC, Road Project

Governor Abdullahi Sule has said local government areas in Nasarawa State have been enjoying full autonomy since 2019, a development that has enabled them to deliver people-oriented projects without interference.
Governor Sule stated this in Lafia when he inaugurated a Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) and a road project executed by the Lafia local government area.

According to the governor, insinuations that local government autonomy began under President Bola Tinubu’s administration are incorrect. He noted that his administration had allowed the councils to manage their allocations and to initiate and execute projects that directly impact people’s lives since assuming office in 2019.

“Today, we have reached a peak of projects. This is the way to make an impact in the lives of the people,” Sule said.

He commended the chairman of Lafia LGA, Haliru Arabo, for constructing and equipping a standard PHC in the Government Reserved Area (GRA), where no health facility existed before, without financial support from the state government.

The governor also disclosed that in the last few days, his administration had inaugurated roads built to federal standards, with stone base and asphalt, by local governments in Wamba, Akwanga, Nasarawa-Eggon, and Doma, using reputable contractors.

On project naming, Sule said he was uncomfortable with projects being named after him while still in office, clarifying that the inscription ‘A.A. Sule Legacy’ seen on projects was not for self-glorification but to document who executed them.

“The best way to name something after me is when I am no longer in office. The ‘A.A. Sule Legacy’ you see on projects is not naming; it is to show who built it, so that mischievous people will not deny it tomorrow,” he explained.

The governor announced that work would soon resume on the abandoned Kwandere-Karshi road, which will now be upgraded from surface dressing to a standard federal highway at a renegotiated cost of about N40 billion, down from over N50 billion.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Gaza Gwamna, described the new facility as a Level 2 PHC that will provide immunisation, malaria treatment, antenatal and delivery services to residents of GRA and surrounding communities. He said independent verifiers from the Federal Ministry of Health had rated PHCs in Nasarawa as comparable to general hospitals elsewhere due to adequate staffing.

The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Aminu Maifata, attributed the project to the governor’s directive on full disbursement of signature bonuses to councils and his advice that they channel their savings into critical infrastructure.

In his remarks, the Chairman of Lafia LGA, Haliru Arabo, said the PHC was built in line with the governor’s charge to council chairmen to leave enduring legacies.