Pulse.ng : Gov. Radda reels off achievements in 100 days

By Abbas Bamalli

Gov. Dikko Radda of Katsina State Governor, says his administration has taken giant steps to address the security challenges in the state in the last 100 days.

He also said that the government had focused on enhancing agriculture, health, education and infrastructure development since his inauguration as governor on May 29.

Radda said this while briefing newsmen in Katsina on Wednesday on his 100 days in office.

“The issue of insecurity is of paramount importance to my administration. We created the ministry of internal security, and also Katsina State Community Watch Corps to deal with the insecurity challenges.

“We have recruited and trained so far, 1,500 community watch officers from the eight frontline local government areas to empower our people to defend themselves.

“I enacted a security challenge containment order and set-up an advisory committee on security in the state,” the governor said.

He added that over N7 billion was earmarked to procure Armoured Personnel Carriers, 65 Hilux vehicles, 700 motorcycles, and other security equipment to enhance security operations in the state.

Radda also said the government had supported victims of banditry by providing them free medical care and money to support their livelihood.

“We have partnered with the UNDP to establish a climate peace hope and preventive facilities with a pilot project in Jibia to help reverse the trend insecurity in the state has created.”

According to him, the administration has also made significant progress in the education sector.

“I am pleased to announce that we have provided N2.2 billion for the construction and rehabilitation of 361 primary schools in the state.

“We have launched and mobilised contractors for the construction of 75 secondary schools under the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project in the state.”

Radda said the government had inaugurated the first three model schools he pledged to provide during the campaign, and tests have been conducted for recruitment of additional teachers into the service.

On health, the governor said the government has been working to enhance primary health care services across the state.

“To improve primary healthcare delivery in the state, two dialysis centres were commissioned to increase dialysis beds from two to 16, and 16 additional dialysis machines are on the way.

“We have also provided 198 motorcycles to improve immunisation in partnership with UNICEF.

“Our investment in healthcare will focus on efficient and affordable healthcare for the people at the primary healthcare centres.”

In the agriculture sector, Radda said the government had finalised a new extension service programme and increase the number of extension workers from 72 to 600.

In the area of financial management, Radda said that the government had engaged extensively with various technology service providers to come up with best solution and operating model for financial management in the state.

“I signed an executive order to implement the Treasury Single Account (TSA) for transparency, and we have finalised plan to build a technology platform that will best serve the need of the people in tax management, budget planning and expenditure tracking.”

The governor also spoke on efforts to enhance potable water supply, saying various water supply projects have been completed.

On palliatives to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal, Radda said the government had purchased 40 buses to provide affordable public transportation across the state.

He said 15 of the busses were dedicated to offer services within Katsina while the remaining 25 have been deployed for inter and intra-state services.

The governor further said the government had purchased rice and maize worth over N3 billion which were shared as palliative to vulnerable people in the state.

According to him, the administration has in the last 100 days also engaged in public service reform, development of a new Katsina Master Plan, establishment of a power plant and some cost efficiency measures to drive changes in the state.

NAN