The urban renewal policy of the Nasarawa state government has turned Lafia, the state capital into a huge construction yard, as scores of road construction are going on simultaneously.
The governor of the state, Tanko Al-Makura, had during the hay days of his campaigns, embark on a social contract with the electorate, assuring them of his resolve to lead the “disadvantaged state”, into an “advantaged state” and especially the promised land, if given the mandate.
It was as a result of this that he decided to embark on vigorous and quick interventional transformational agendas, in every sector that has direct bearing on the lives of the people of the state.
The urban renewal, water supply, electricity, health education schemes seem to have catched the attention of the governor, who has since embarked on free medical care, payment of NECO fees for students of the state origin, restoration of water supply to Lafia, the state capital and other cities.
Intercity road embarked upon by the Al-Makura’s administration in Lafia, the state capital, include those linking Kurikyo to Shendam road, Angwan Mangu – Kurikyo, the one linking Shendam road and Angwan Tiv, through super cinema and the one that passes through Lafia East primary school leading to the Government House junction, on Shendam road and project quarters, as well as some selected street roads in Lafia metropolis.
Construction work on these projects are at various stages of completion, to the admiration and applause of the people of the state.
The government is also working in collaboration with the Federal Government to assist the state in constructing federal roads that pass through the state. The governor, recently held talks with officials of the federal ministry on the need for the dualization of Lafia-Makurdi-Enugu roads.
Al-Makura, has also sought the support of authorities of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in completing the construction work on some roads that border the state and the FCT, among them are Gitata- Panda and Mararaba- Mpape roads.
When these road projects are completed, they will reduce the traffic congestion on the Abuja- Karu- Nyanya-Keffi roads.
The “Power in 100 days initiative” intervention of the governor in the power sector has also been a success story as residents of Lafia and other benefiting communities are already enjoying the intervention.
The intervention which is meant to provide relief to the over stretched and outdated power infrastructures in the state, particularly in Lafia, saw the governor flagging off the installation of 32 new 500 KVA transformers to boost power supply in the state.
With this development, the power situation has significantly improved and residents of Lafia are now enjoying between 12 to 16 hours of uninterrupted daily power supply and this could best be described as a feat that has never been achieved since the creation of the state over 16 years ago.
The Nasarawa Energy Company (NASENCO), which was part of the committee set up by the state government to fine tune the structures of powering the state, has ensured that besides its potential for industrialization, the power project would enhance social life and improve on the economic activities of the state.
The state government has also embarked on the initiative to connect all the local government areas to the national grid, with the aim of improving the power facilities, especially the 132 KVA, to boost economic activities in the rural areas of the state.
The transport sector was also not left out in the initiatives of the CPC administration, as the government recently revamped the transport sector and improve the ailing transport company, which is now christened “Nasarawa Express” by acquiring about 40 buses so as to provide the people of the state with affordable, reliable and accessible means of transportation.
Today, the lingering water supply shortage, inherited by the present administration in the state, has been tackled; daily water supply has since been restored to Lafia the state capital, Keffi, Akwanga, Nasarawa and Doma, just to mention few.
Also in his moves to turn around the economic fortunes of the state, Governor Al-Makura had visited the Karu International Market, Lafia Hotels, the International Cultural Centre, Masaka, the abandoned Masaka beef processing company, the fertilizer blending plant in Lafia and the Mada water works to see how government can intervene to revive the ailing state owned companies to boost the revenue base of the state.?
The governor, had also gone into partnership with the apex bank, Central Bank of Nigeria, in the area of agriculture.