From Abel Leonard, Lafia
Residents of Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, have expressed mixed reactions following the dissolution of the Nasarawa State Executive Council by Governor Abdullahi Sule. The announcement, made on Friday, 3 January 2025, also confirmed the termination of the appointment of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG).
A statement signed by Mohammed Aliyasu Idde, Permanent Secretary for Cabinet Affairs and Special Services, outlined the governor’s directive that all outgoing commissioners hand over the affairs of their ministries and government property in their possession to the respective permanent secretaries. Similarly, the SSG is to hand over responsibilities to the Permanent Secretary of Cabinet Affairs and Special Services.
The governor expressed gratitude to the outgoing officials for their services and wished them success in their future endeavours. “We appreciate their dedication and commitment to the government and people of Nasarawa State,” the statement read.
The announcement was met with varied reactions on the streets of Lafia on Saturday, with many residents lauding the decision as a long-overdue step to restructure governance and ensure accountability.
“This is a sign that the governor is listening to the people and is ready to make tough decisions for the betterment of the state,” said Musa Abdullahi, a civil servant in Lafia.
Another resident, Muhammed Dauda, a trader and political stakeholder, described the dissolution as a necessary move to inject fresh ideas into governance.
“Governor Sule has shown that he is focused on improving governance. This reshuffle gives us hope for better service delivery. For years, many of us have been calling for changes in the cabinet, especially the SSG, because we felt that he was not delivering up to expectations,” Dauda explained. “We see this as a new chapter, and we trust the governor will appoint capable hands to push Nasarawa forward.”
However, some residents remain cautious, wondering if the changes will yield the desired results. Political analyst Abubakar Usman observed, “While this decision is commendable, the focus now should be on ensuring that the new appointees are technocrats and not politically motivated choices. The state needs experts who can turn around its fortunes.”