MU’AZU ABARI in this piece takes a look at the controversies surrounding the desirability or otherwise of Nasarawa airport project initiated by the present administration of Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura , comparing how similar efforts by ex-Gov Abdullahi Adamu to establish Nasarawa State University which turned out to be the pride of the state today, was initially rejected by political opponents
In the words of Donald Rumsfeld “If you are not criticised you may not be doing much “while on his part, warren bennis said “the task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been. Henry Kissinger asserted that “leadership is the capacity to transform vision into reality.”
The above assertions are what successive administrations in Nasarawa State continued to face since the restoration of democracy in 1999 particularly the PDP led administration of ex-governor Abdullahi Adamu when he wanted to establish Nasarawa State University, Keffi and incumbent Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura following his current decision to construct a cargo airport in the state.
When former Governor Abdullahi Adamu took over the affairs of the state as the first Executive Governor of Nasarawa on May 1999, he promised to provide dividends of democracy to the people of Nasarawa State in line with his campaign promises.
To achieve these objectives he came up with what he called “cardinal objectives of his administration.
Few years after the establishment of the university, Nasarawa State University Keffi (NSUK) continued to grow from strength to strength and become an attractive centre of learning and source of pride not only to the citizens of the state including those who initially opposed the idea of establishing the university but also to people from all parts of the country who keep on trooping in to compete for academic and lecturing spaces into the university which have now become the darling of all to the regret of those who opposed its establishment. This indeed is a quality of a leadership driven by vision and foresight which justified assertions of prominent scholars philosophers like Leroy Eimes, Roselynn Carter and Douglas Mac Arthy who respectively assert that.
History is now repeating itself as the same scenario that plays out during the administration of ex-governor Abdullahi Adamu has again rear its ugly head following the decision by the incumbent administration of Governor Umaru Tanko Almakura to build an International Cargo Airport in the state.
Just like ex-governor Abdullahi Adamu when Almakura took over the affairs of the state on May 2011 as the third democratically elected Governor of Nasarawa State he left no one in doubt that his mission in Nasarawa Government House Lafia is to right the wrongs of the past, tackled headlong the challenges of basic infrastructures that continued to bedeviled the state since its creation and put the state back on the path of economic growth, prosperity and sustainable development in line with the dreams, vision and expectations of its founding fathers.
This decision by the governor was borne out of his patriotic concerned and love for the present and future of Nasarawa State as well as his desire to leaved Nasarawa State better than he met it as clearly stated in his inaugural address when he said.
“So let it be said, when the modern history of our state comes t be written that when we are tried and tested we were not found lacking in moral fibre, that we did not falter or even flinch and that when finally we took our exit, we left Nasarawa State in a far better form and shape that we had found it, or than anyone had ever dared to imagine.
In that inaugural address which was applauded by most people in the state Almakura also stated that: “Our choice, and the only choice, is the path of struggle, hard work and risk taking, as well as openness to new ideas. I am only too aware that, the pursuit of our agenda for change will be complex and grueling endeavours. And I conceded that those who insist that, our state cannot afford too many big plans and hence question the scale of our ambitions have a point. But then, what these cynics and adversaries fail to realize is that the ground has shifted beneath them, that their own failure stem not from lack of resources perse but from a failure of will and imagination which when joined to common purpose as well as honest intend and courage, can result in the most remarkable changes”
His achievements within just 4 years can best be described as intimidating and unprecedented in the history of governance in Nasarawa State hence the people decision to returned him to Shendam Road government House Lafia for second term to enable him continue with his good works.
With his inauguration for the second term Almakura saw the urgent need to still give priority to provision of basic infrastructures in order to consolidate on the achievements recorded and also take drastic actions that will improve the economy of the state and create employment opportunity for the people of the State hence his administration decision to construct International Cargo Airport in the state.
The projects is a joint venture between the Nasarawa State Government and Chinese engineering firm, Tongyi Group Engineering Nigeria Limited and is expected to gulp N17bn with the company bearing 75% of cost of the project while the Nasarawa State Government is to bear only 25% of the contract sum.
The airport will assuage the congestion and the continued over stretching of the facilities at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. By implication the airport in Lafia is expected to witnessed robust patronage that will open vistas for more economic activities, employment generation, increase the revenue inflow as well as attract investors to the state. In the same vain the airport will alleviate the suffering of our people who have to travel elsewhere to boards flights for pilgrimages to Holy Land and other International engagements. Similarly the airport will facilitate the exportation of our locally processed agricultural produce such as pape yams, sesame, soya beans etc. to Europe, U.S.A India, China among others.
Regrettably just as witnessed during ex-governor Abdullahi Adamu when he wanted to establish Nasarawa State University Keffi various individuals and groups continued to opposed this initiative and noble idea done with the patriotic intention to move the state forward with some dismissing, condemning the project describing it as a misplacement of priority and waste of public funds.
Among all these attacks against this administration over this laudable project the bashing from Mr. Labaran Maku former PDP gubernatorial aspirant and defeated APGA candidate in 2015 election in Nasarawa State and Mr. Yunana Iliya the State Chairman of the People Democratic Party is the most laughable and a clear demonstration of political shamelessness by the very characters and the party that brought the state to its knees, strangulated its economy and put the citizens on a life support before divine intervention through Almakura’s emergenced in 2011.
The question is how many bridges and communities has PDP led administration of former governor Aliyu Akwa Doma with Yunana Iliya as the party Chairman and also play an active role in the running of that administration has constructed and linked them in their 4 wasted years?
Who told the PDP chairman that the project cannot be completed before the tenure of this administration ends? How many projects have PDP led administration of Doma completed in their 4 wasted years of nothingness and who put the people of Nasarawa in agony of death, loot the treasury and mismanaged the economy of the State between PDP administration and Almakura’s led government. The answer is well known to the people of Nasarawa State that was why the spoke in 2011 and likewise in 2015 elections.
Come to think of it, how much is this 25% they are shouting of mismanagement? The 25% cost of this airport project to be paid by the state government is N4.2bn. What is this amount compared to over N40bn debt left behind by PDP which have since been paid.
Or better still, if the PDP administration did not squander the N10bn Paris Club debt refunded to the state that money would have been used in the overall interest of the state. Likewise if the last PDP government supported and defending by the likes of Maku and Yunana Iliya did not inflate it’s so called road projects the money if used in public interest would have provided more basic amenities to the people of the state.
For the avoidance of doubt Gitata-Panda road was jerked from N3,700,761.25 to N3,053,536,339.88 Kadarko-Giza Keana, Agaza, Akwatashi from N3,990,359,772.00 to N5.108,975,650.80 just to mention but few among many others.
Furthermore, the people of Nasarawa State preferred a government that will commit almost N5bn to build an airport rather than a government that in 4 years constructed a single roundabout in Lafia the State capital at the rate of N89,296,959,94kobo making it the most expensive roundabout in Nigeria a contract that was initially contracted by the same administration at the rate of N29,811,986.28 but later jerked it to an exorbitant price all in a bid to defraud the people of the state.