•Pledges FG’s support to states

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, yesterday, expressed appreciation to governors for their trust in him and pledged not to fail them.

Speaking during a one-day official visit to Nasarawa State, the President thanked the governors for their consistency in pursuing the vision of the Renewed Hope Agenda, which aimed to rebuild lives and the nation.

He said, “Seeing the governors here is truly an emotional day for me. Thank you for the way you showed up with grace and glory. Thank you for keeping your loyalty intact.”

He assured the government and people of Nasarawa State that his administration would continue to support the state in developmental projects, particularly in the solid minerals and agricultural sector.

President Tinubu, who made the pledge when he visited the Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Bage Muhammad, said Governor Abdullahi Sule’s careful resource management has earned him the trust of the federal government and investors.

“I am happy to be back here in Nasarawa and to confirm what the Emir told me during the campaigns in 2023 that I will be back as President of Nigeria. Thank you. You are a highly far-sighted individual, a committed Nigerian of high integrity and jurisprudence, “ he said.

The president commended Sule and the Council of Traditional Rulers for the peace, stability, and progress in the state, pledging to work harder to actualise all the promises of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“All I have decided is to ensure a change for the future and the best,” he added.

The president emphasised that the Renewed Hope Agenda would reposition the economy to benefit young Nigerians and future generations.

“We have seen it in Governor Sule. We just commissioned an interchange, and he told us he did not borrow a penny for completion,” he said.

In his speech, the Emir of Lafia, who is also the Chairman of the Nasarawa State Council of Chiefs, extolled President Tinubu’s leadership style, particularly for transforming the Nigerian economy.

“Your Excellency, our president, our friend, our everything. You are welcome back to this hall. It started here when you came in some years ago.

“Like I said, you were here twice during the campaign. We were lucky. The former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, was on an official tour of the state.

“And I told him:  Your Excellency, one of the best among them, is Tinubu because we are living witnesses. We were in Lagos during our days at the Court of Appeal. During his term in office as Governor of Lagos,  we saw how he turned around Lagos and made Lagos what it is today.

“Your Excellency, you are translating the same into the Nigerian economy, and before you leave office,  Nigeria will be great again.”

The Emir pledged his support and that of the Emirate for the President.

Sule received the President at the airport and took him to the inauguration of an interchange and flyover in central Lafia.

The new secretariat building, roads, tractors for mechanised farming, and operational vehicles for the security agencies were also inaugurated

The governors of Kaduna, Imo, Borno, Ogun, Kwara, and Benue States, also attended the inauguration.

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