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The President pointed out that with the current resources available to the state governments, it can conveniently take care of the N30,000 wage award to civil servants, adding that “this will no doubt reduce the current hardship in the country”.
The President made the appeal when he commissioned the remodeled Domestic Terminal of the International Airport, Minna, renamed after him, and the official flag-off of the Niger State Agricultural Mechanization Revolution for Food Security emergency in Minna on Monday.
According to him, “I am not giving you order, I am only appealing to you all the sub-nationals, whatever the civil servants are taking now, and the wage award it will relief the people”.
President Tinubu, who described the agriculture revolution of the Niger State Governor, Umar Bago as a bold step in the right direction, emphasized that with determination, the food security agenda of the present administration is achievable.
According to him, “we have seen the level of commitment here from Niger state, we have seen leadership. A success story of any leader will depend on the ability to do what he is supposed to do at a time when he supposed to do it”.
He stated further that to achieve the food security agenda of the administration, the issue of farmer/herders clash must be addressed, saying that “we must orient our farming population including the livestock farmers. We can feed our pupils in school with enough milk if the dairies are doing well.”
The President however stated that it is an economic sabotage for animals (livestock) to eat up the crops and the vegetations of our lands, adding that “it is painful. We will re-orient the herders and make provision for cattle rearing but I want the governors to provide the lands”.
He thereby promised to partner and support the state governors with a view to banishing hunger from the land, stressing that “it is necessary and mandatory to support you”.
Earlier the state governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago told the president that agriculture is key to his administration commitment to addressing the challenges in critical sectors of our economy, stressing that “we shall seize every opportunity for the attainment of growth and engender prosperity for the people of our beloved state and by extension our dear country, Nigeria”.
The disclosed that on assumption of office he met the entire infrastructure of the state in comatose, including rural and urban roads, housing and water, electricity, transportation, among others,
To address these challenges and establish efficient road infrastructure and cost-effective and secure movement of goods and services, the State Government, he said embarked on ambitious initiatives to rehabilitate and expand some federal roads that have implications for the evacuation of agricultural products.
“For example, the 90km Kontagora to Rijau road, and another 90km Agwara -Rijau , 50km Kakaki to Beji road, among others. This is part of our contributions to Mr. President’s developmental strides thereby enhancing socio-economic activities in the State and the nation at large”.
On the remodeled airport named after the President, the governor disclosed that the Airport was once in a state of comatose with failed runway, dilapidated terminal building, absence of fire and safety equipment and runway lighting system, pointing out that “The domestic terminal, which had been under construction for over a decade was abandoned. As a government, we couldn’t fold our arms and allow the ugly picture it creates in the minds of visitors to subsist.
“Hence, in recognition of the importance of this critical infrastructure, the State Government took responsibility for its completion. Today, I am proud to announce that the Minna International Airport is completed and renamed as Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport which you just graciously commissioned”.
Dignitaries who attended the airport commissioning includes governors of Lagos, Benue, Kwara and Kogi States.
