By Bode Olagoke Abuja
Nasarawa state governor, Alhaji Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, has ordered a state-wide enumeration exercise as part of his administration’s eff orts to boost social amenities and infrastructure in the state. Th e enumeration exercise has been fi xed for September 1 and is expected to last for six weeks. A statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Hon. Abdul- Hamid Y. Kwara, yesterday in Abuja, the governor directed that an in-depth, door -to -door enumeration that cut across the entire state, be carried out to provide the administration with vital information on citizens and their pressing needs.
He said data obtained, through the exercise, would also assist his government to identify gaps that needed to be bridged to enable the government appropriately deploy available resources for the benefi t of people of Nasarawa state. According to the Information Commissioner, enumerators would be visiting homes and offi ces across the state to administer questionnaires to residents and workers on their needs. Th e exercise, he added, is in keeping with the inclusive administration of Al-Makura.
“Th e Nasarawa state government is, therefore, using this medium to call on all residents of the state, to cooperate with the enumerators and respond appropriately in order to ensure that the objectives of the exercise are achieved. “In addition, the state government wishes to state unequivocally that this exercise is not just for the indigenes of Nasarawa state, but for nonindigenes and residents.
“Th e governor has done a lot already and still appreciates need for more to be done towards ensuring equitable distribution of social amenities, and to alleviate the plight of the citizens some of whom have had to down tools recently in protests and strikes”, the statement read in part.” Kwara noted that despite being one of the least revenue earning states in the country, with a little over N7 billion from federal allocations in the fi rst quarter of 2017 and an IGR of about N4billion in the last four years, Governor Al-Makura has through prudent and frugal deployment of resources implemented a number of laudable projects and programme, the statement said.
He listed the projects to include the cargo airport project, special schools in each of the senatorial zones, construction of bridges, culverts, public health infrastructures, among others. Th e administration has also created the Nasarawa Geographic Information Services (NAGIS) to enhance even and structured development of the state in line with the state’s approved master plan.
