Buhari’s administration committed to security, infrastructure upgrade–Osinbajo says in Zamfara

 By Chijioke Okoronkwo; Ishaq Zaki

The  President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration will continue to secure the country, upgrade its infrastructure and ensure that its wealth  is not hijacked by a greedy few,  Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, has said.

Osinbajo gave this assurance on Tuesday during a one-day working visit to Zamfara State where he was received by Gov. Abdulaziz Yari.

A statement by Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Acting President, in Abuja, said that Osinbajo inaugurated projects executed by the state government.

The projects were listed as the upgraded 150-bed General Hospital in Bakura Local Government Area (LGA) and the Water Works project at Gamji village.

Others are a 12.8 kilometre road project in the same community and a Modern Primary School in Talata Mafara.

“The Buhari Administration will continue to work to secure the country, upgrade its infrastructure, and ensure that the wealth of the country is not hijacked by a greedy few, but is instead used for the benefit of everyone, with special emphasis on the least-privileged”.

On the invasion of communities, especially in the state by armed bandits,  Osinbajo assured the people that the Federal Government would sustain the tempo of its fight against all forms of criminality across the country.

“I would like to reiterate the total determination of the Federal Government to support and work with the State Government to permanently deal with and defeat these challenges, and to ensure that Zamfara remains a promising land of agriculture, commerce, tourism and hospitality.

“This fight will of course not be won until every hotspot and flashpoint in Nigeria is freed and secured. Every Nigerian life matters and we will not relent in our efforts to completely subdue the perpetrators of bloodshed and violence.

“Let me reassure all that we will keep up the tempo, and will continue to provide all the needed support to our law enforcement agents as they work hard to restore peace and security.”

The acting president commended the Zamfara State government for its resilience and determination in providing for the people through important projects and programmes despite the challenge of insecurity.

On the activities of illegal miners in the state, Osinbajo said the Federal Government was committed to charting a new future, free of poisoning and exploitation for Zamfara and all other affected parts of the country.

“We owe it to our children and future generations, to bequeath to them an environment that will support, not undermine their dreams and aspirations.

“Our dream of building a prosperous Nigeria that will take its rightful place in the midst of the global community of states, cannot be realized in a state of acrimony, primordial divisions, and prejudiced thinking,”  the acting president said.

Osinbajo was accompanied on the visit by the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, APC’s Deputy National Chairman North, Lawal Shuaibu and other top government officials.

While in the state, Osinbajo presented relief materials worth millions of naira to victims of bandits’ attacks.

The event took place in Talata-Mafara town, Talata-Mafara local government area of the state.

He said that the gesture was aimed at reducing the suffering of the victims.

He urged the victims to remain calm as the Federal Government was making efforts to improve the security situation in the state and the country at large.

Receiving the items on behalf of the victims, Giv. Abdul’aziz Yari thanked the Federal Government for the kind gesture.

Yari noted that the security situation in the state had improved following the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari on the deployment of troops in the area.

He said that the displaced persons were now returning back to their communities.

Earlier, the Director-General of NEMA, Mr Mustafa Maihaja, said that items distributed include 1,200 bags of rice, 300 bags of maize, 300 bags of beans, 2,500 pieces of blankets, 1,500 cartons of tomotoes,1,000 pieces of wax print.

Maihaja, represented by the Director, Search and Rescue of the Agency, Air Cdr. Achebe Iyamu, said that 1,500 pieces of women’s clothes, 1,000 pieces of men clothes, 1,000 pieces of children clothes, 200 cartons of bathing soap, 1,000 pieces of nylon mats were also distributed.

He said the leftovers included 1,000 pieces of mattresses, 500 pieces of mosquito nets and palm oil among others.

NAN recalls that over 20,000 persons have been displaced by the bandits from their respective communities in Anka, Zurmi, Maradun, Gusau and Maru local government areas of the state.