Speakers of the State Houses of Assembly from the North Central Zone of the country have commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the appointment of Sen. George Akume as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), saying that the appointment has given the region a sense of belonging.
The Speakers said the President did not make a mistake in the appointment of the former Benue State governor, adding that "it was a great honour done to the people of North Central States".
The Speakers, who gave the commendation when they paid the SGF a congratulatory visit in his office in Abuja on Tuesday, stated that Senator Akume was the "perfect man" for the job, going by his experience in public service and in politics.
The speakers, who were led by the Speaker of Benue State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Hyacinth Dajoh, told their host that they were in his office to show their solidarity and equally congratulate him for the "well-deserved appointment".
According to him, "we believed that with your wealth of experience both in public service and in politics, you are the right person for the job, and Mr. President did not make any mistake in your appointment.
"We have no doubt that you will not only succeed in this assignment, you will make the entire North Central and the country proud", he added.
Speaking, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, who said he was overwhelmed by the visit, advised the state lawmakers to, as a matter of necessity, ensure that they maintain a harmonious relationship with the executive arm of government in their respective states.
The SGF told his visitors that as legislators, "you must peacefully coexist with the executive for the purpose of providing the needed development for the people because that is the essence of your being elected by the people.
"In doing this, we must ensure that there is check and balance; cooperating with the executive does not mean that you are a rubber stamp; if you fight over unnecessary things, it will rob the people of the necessary development," he said.
He therefore solicited the support of the people for the President Tinubu-led administration, saying that with only one month in office, the president has taken some bold and courageous decisions towards rescuing the country from economic stagnation.
Senator Akume mentioned that the removal of fuel subsidy, and the appointment of service chiefs from the entire geo-political zone of the country are some of the laudable decisions so far taken by the President, stressing that "all these bold and courageous decisions by Mr. President point to the fact that the country is on the path of recovery and development".
Among the delegation are Speakers of Niger, Rt. Hon. Abdulmalik Sarkindaji; Plateau, Rt. Hon. Moses Thomas Sule; Kogi, Rt. Hon. Aliyu Umar Yusuf; and Nasarawa, Rt. Hon. Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi.
Niger State Governor, Hon. Mohammed Umar Bago, has paid Sallah homage to Agaie, Lapai, and Suleja emirates, where he reassured the people of the three emirates of his commitment to fulfilling all his campaign promises.
He urged the people to embrace farming and assured them of the state government's support to take advantage of the abundant arable land and water bodies in the state to ensure food security and sufficiency.
He disclosed that he was determined to transform Agaie, Lapai, and Suleja into a model city, and he said some of their policies would come with their own pains as some private structures would be affected.
He said the projects, particularly the road network projects, would commence in no time and appealed to those whose structures might be affected to be patient with the process.
"We have come to pay you Sallah homage and to celebrate with you; we are also here to see how you are doing and to reassure you of our desire to fulfil our campaign promises.
"We are aware of some of your challenges and we have taken note of them, which include poor road networks, water, and education, and very soon we will start addressing them squarely one after the other," said the Governor.
He said youth and women will not be left out, as they will be empowered to be self-reliant.
While appreciating the Emirs for their warm reception, the Governor also solicited the support and cooperation of Nigerlites, as well as their prayers for the administration to succeed in their quest for a new Niger State.
In their separate remarks, the Emirs of Agaie, Lapai, and Suleja, Alhaji Yusuf Nuhu, Alhaji Umaru Bago Tafiya II, and Mallam Awwal Ibrahim, appreciated the Governor's visit, saying it was a rare privilege for them to have him celebrate Sallah with them.
They assured him of their support, prayers, and readiness to provide an advisory role at any given time.
Other members of the Governor's entourage included the Deputy Governor, Comrade Yakubu Garba; the Secretary to State Government, Alhaji Abubakar Usman Gawu; Member representing Bida, Gbako, and Katcha Federal Constituency, Hon Sa'idu Musa Abdul (SMA); the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Abdullahi Usman Gbatamangi; and others.
