Anniversary: Nasarawa government earmarks N4bn for Urban, Rural renewal projects

By David Okpashi

The Nasarawa state government Thursday declared that it was awaiting the outcome of the negotiations between the federal government and the organized Labour on Minimum wage to commence it’s processes.

The Head of service of Nasarawa state, Abigail Waya who announced this while briefing journalists shortly after the state expanded Executive Council meeting said Nasarawa state was ready and prepared to commence negotiation with organized Labour on the new minimum wage in the state.

“As we may all be aware, there is a tripartite committee that was set up by the Federal Government.

“Nasarawa State on its part, is fully committed to the welfare of civil servants and as soon as a new minimum wage is arrived at, the State Government would also negotiate with the organized labour in the state to arrive at a new minimum wage that it can sustainably pay. Because it’s not just about having a new minimum wage but it should be a wage that the government can pay in the long term,” the HoS stated.

In a similar vein, the state government has earmarked over N4bn for urban and rural renewal projects in the state,

The approval for the execution of the projects was disclosed at the expanded state executive council meeting convened by Governor Abdullahi Sule, while twenty decisions taken by the council were ratified

Briefing journalists shortly after the council meeting, State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Hon. Ibrahim Uthman Angbolo said the council deliberated on critical issues bothering on the development of the state and approved the projects cutting across different sectors of the economy of the state.

Giving a breakdown of the projects approved by the council, State Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport, Hon. Mu’azu Gosho, said the urban and rural renewal projects approved include the ratification and award for contract for the construction work to commence immediately on the underpass and flyover spanning up to a kilometer in Lafia township estimated at N16.6m.

He said that roads linking the metropolis to the major highways that traverse the city are to be executed to ease movement and traffic grid, while the council also considered a number of roads within the city for construction and approved the construction of the roads to cost N2.3bn the Commissioner said.

Gosho said as a measures to give a face-lift to headquarters of the three senatorial zones in the state, the council approved for the urban renewal of Akwanga, headquarters, Nasarawa North senatorial district.

“In view of the determination of the Government to give the three senatorial zones headquarters face-lift, council approved the urban renewal of Akwanga by the construction and dualization of some roads linking Keffi Road from the roundabout and Lafia Road from the roundabout in Akwanga to the tune of N7.91bn,”

According to the works commissioner, council expressed the need to link the ongoing Kwandere-Keffi Road with neighboring communities following which the council approved for the link road connecting the Kwandere-Keffi road to Mada Statio with a distance of about 3km at the cost of N615m.

“In a bid to improve the working environment of civil service and civil servants, Government has award contracts for the construction of a befitting secretariat. It’s on this note that having awarded the contract for Phase One, Lot 1 and 2, Government saw the need to expand the project by awarding the contract for the construction of the Phase Two of the project to increase the number of buildings to accommodate more ministries. At this juncture, the council approved the award of contract for the construction of the Phase Two new government secretariat at the cost of N6.8bn”, the commissioner stated.

The commissioner who disclosed further that the council approved for the design of the entire secretariat complex to the tune N991, 103, 506.25, announced that the council also approved the construction of a modern market in Doma at the cost of N971, 147, 591.77, as well as the completion of adjourning stores and warehouses in the Lafia Square.

“Government saw the need that part of the Lafia Square should be completed that would yield revenue to the state. On that note, council approved the award of contract for the completion of those structures at the tune of N263, 387,” he stated.

Also briefing the media, State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Yakubu Kwanta, announced that with the recent upgrade from tier one to tier two under the ACReSAL Project, Nasarawa State is set to receive ten million dollars as award for its performance under the scheme.

Kwanta said the council deliberated on the projects under the European Investment Bank (EIB), adding that Governor Sule has graciously approved three hundred million naira as counterpart fund to facilitate for the state to partake in the project that is expected to takeover and complete previous projects under the defunct New Map project.