Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi has said he is honoured by his nomination as Governor of the Year by LEADERSHIP Newspapers.
Speaking when he received a delegation from LEADERSHIP Group Limited,
Governor Namadi said the recognition would spur him and his team to do more.
Governor Namadi said he had been following LEADERSHIP Newspapers’ trajectory as a medium committed to promoting good governance, transparency and service to humanity. “Therefore, I know this selection is based on merit.
“When I saw the announcement of my nomination for the meritorious award in the newspaper and other social media platforms, I was so happy because I believe the selection was transparent as I never expected it or discussed it with anybody.
“I thank LEADERSHIP for finding me worthy of this meritorious award. I consider the nomination a call for more dedication and transparency in the service of the good people of Jigawa State,” the governor declared.
Governor Namadi commended the Management of LEADERSHIP Newspapers for sustaining the legacy of the company since the demise of its founding chairman, Mr Sam Nda-Isaiah “by maintaining LEADERSHIP as a reliable newspaper run based on ethics and professionalism.”
He assured of his administration’s commitment to sustaining the implementation of programmes and policies that earned him the award While tasking media organisations with promoting patriotism and good governance for unity, peace, progress, and sustainable growth through objective reporting, he challenged Nigerians to support the current administration’s reforms.
“Nigeria is our country, and we all owe it a duty to do all we can to make it prosper. We must work together to make it better for present and future generations,” he said.
In a speech, the group managing director of LEADERSHIP, Muazu Elazeh, said Governor Namadi clinched the Governor of the Year award for his dogged commitment to changing the narrative of governance in JIgawa state, where his administration is making indelible impacts in various sectors.
He said the LEADERSHIP Board of Editors analysed Governor Namadi’s performance in the last year and found it worthy of the award.
He listed steps taken by Governor Namadi to promote transparency in governance, improve infrastructure, and develop human capital to make Jigawa prosperous and great as among the factors that earned him the award.
Elazeh said the governor’s focus on allocating 30 percent of the state budget to the education sector, recruiting over 8,000 teachers for Basic and Senior Secondary schools, and renovating and building classrooms with the provision of furniture and other materials necessary for creating conducive teaching and learning environments are steps necessary to reposition the education sector.
It would be recalled that the Governor Namadi administration had prioritised education, agriculture, and healthcare delivery and had increased students’ scholarships by over 150 percent to cover their registration fees.
The governor also sponsored 130 students, including girls, to study medicine in Cyprus. He has also purchased a private university to expand access to tertiary education in the state, among other laudable policies and programmes.
