By Abdallah el-Kurebe
New governor of Sokoto state, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has challenged the people of the state not to sit on the fence but to take active part in running the affairs of the state.
Addressing the mammoth crowd that gathered at Shehu Kangiwa Square on Friday to witness his swearing in as the new governor of the state, Tambuwal assured that his administration would be ready to take criticisms that would be aimed at strengthening good governance.
“I urge you all to take part in propelling good governance. Our administration will be ready to take meaningful criticisms because we shall not have any reason for infallibility,” he stressed.
Promising that he would strive to to be worthy of the trust of the people of Sokoto state, Tambuwal stated that his priority would be the completion of the projects being executed by the out gone Wamakko administration.
He said further that among priority programmes of the new government would be social reorientation and diversification of local economy to areas of mineral exploitation and agriculture. “This country can no longer depend on oil. Sokoto state will therefore revamp the Sokoto Investment Company and explore agriculture and mineral resources that are abundant in the state.”
Earlier, former governor Wamakko, while handing over the duties and responsibilities of governance to the new governor, Tambuwal declared: “I will be ready to answer any question that you may need to ask for clearance.”
The United Secretary General for West Africa, Mohammed Ibn Chambas, witnessed the swearing in ceremony of governor Tambuwal.
Also,Mallam Nasir Ahmad El Rufai has been sworn in as the new governor of Kaduna.The new governor and his deputy have pledged to sacrifice 50% of their salaries.
The ceremony which was reportedly disrupted at the tail end was witnessed by some unnamed people
El-Rufai however alerted the people about the parlous state of the state’s finaces. “Our finances are a shambles. Kaduna is the second most indebted state in our country. Our state is staggering under the weight of billions of naira in debt and other liabilities. As we all know, merely by walking the streets or seeing our neighbors everyday, the state of our state is abysmal. Our schools and hospitals, our roads and bridges, our villages, towns and cities, all are markers of backwardness.
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