Nasarawa State governor, Abdullahi Sule, has said the state was created due to the need that existed to expand the scope of development and not by accident.
Gov. Sule said this during the public presentation of a book entitled: “Reveling Nasarawa at 28”, in Lafia.
According to him, the resilience and tenacity of the founding fathers resulted to the creation of the state, emphasising that development in the last 28 years was significant.
He urged the people to appreciate development put forward by their leaders, insisting that collective efforts of stakeholders are key to aggressive growth and progress to meet the yearning of the populace.
He expressed commitment to boosting the socio-economic strength of the state, identifying his administration’s policy direction in agriculture, minerals development, education and infrastructure revolution.
He thanked the federal government for recognising the efforts of his government particularly in agriculture, appreciating the authors for adding value to knowledge and literature.
The emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Bage (retired), lauded former Head of State, Late Gen. Sani Abacha for making the creation of Nasarawa State a reality, appreciating Governor Abdullahi Sule for consolidating on the strides made thus far by his predecessors.
The first-class monarch said the authors of the book, Zainab Sule and Ahmed Ahmed, took an innovative approach in rewriting the history of the state, adding that such would enrich and preserve the heritage of the solid minerals state.
In a welcome address, the chairman of the Launching Committee, Lt. Col. Ahmed Bello, underscored the crucial importance of revealing the untold history of the 28-year-old Nasarawa State and the progress, unity, and cultural heritage that have bound the state together.
He described the moment as a historic experience, maintaining that the publication would further enrich the history of the state for development and successive generations.
The book reviewer, Prof. Shehu Abdul Rahman, said the eight-chapter book emphasized the essence of gratitude to God for His favours in the integration and development experienced in the state, harping on the sustenance of cultural diversity for development, leadership integrity and rich natural resources.
Prof. Abdul Rahman, who is vice chancellor of the Federal University of Lafia, tasked readers and researchers to see the publication as a reference material, stressing the need for data generation and usage.
In their goodwill messages, chairman of the occasion and former governor of the state, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, deputy president of the Nigerian Senate, Sen. Jibrin Barau, chairman of Gerawa Group of Companies, Isa Gerawa, challenged Nasarawa citizens on the growth of the younger generation to nurture them with history and developments of their state.