Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has called for “a little more patience” from people asking him to quickly appoint officials to occupy political positions.
The Governor who spoke on Saturday in Karu said he is still consulting widely, since he is coming from the private sector.
“I have received calls, many mails and messages from people who believe we are too slow. They complain that we have not made appointments.
“We agree that some of the people making these calls mean well for the state, but we have to be careful. We want to consult widely so as to appoint the right people and start on a sound footing,” Sule said on Saturday in Karu.
He spoke at a ceremony organised by the Karu Local Government Council to honour his predecessor, Sen Umaru Al-Makura, and the immediate past Secretary to the Nasarawa State Government, Mr Abdullahi Mohammed.
“I am aware of the pivotal roles the appointed officials will play in actualising my plans for the state, but we only want to check a little more to ensure that we get competent persons to constitute the government,” he said.
He said that government was taking one step after the other, noting that eight senior special assistants had so far been appointed.
“Two of the special assistants are from Karu Local Government Area. So, I am sure that in the next cycle of appointments, we will bring people who we believe are highly competent.”
He admitted that he was a novice politician that needed maximum support to understand how best to approach and tackle issues dear to the people of Nasarawa state.
“As a Johnny-Just-Come (JJC), governor, a JJC politician, I am going through a very interesting moment. I am asking stakeholders in all sectors to tell us what has been achieved and areas we should focus on.
“We want to carry everyone along. We must work together and achieve together. My doors are open and we are prepared to listen to good counsel,” he said.
In his remarks, Al-Makura thanked the Karu Local Government Council for the honour done to him, saying that the little he achieved as governor could not have been possible without the cooperation of the people.
He urged them to extend the same cooperation to his successor, and particularly pleaded with them to support his aspiration of industrialising the state as promised when he was seeking the people’s mandate.
Earlier in a welcome address, Mr Samuel Akala, Chairman, Karu Local Government Council, had said that the ceremony was to appreciate politicians who had contributed to the growth of the state over the years. (NAN)