No One is Left Behind and Nothing is Left Untouched (Urban Renewal Campaign III)

By Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri,

Executive Governor Adamawa State.

A Speech Delivered at the Commissioning of 3.2-KM Road in Hong Town, Hong LGA, 

Adamawa State – Nigeria, 

Monday, 24th – May, 2021

Protocol

I want to start this address on a lighter note. I must confess that as the Governor of Adamawa State, every inch of the State is my constituency but whenever I am in Hong there is this air of comfort I breath which reassures me that I am more at home here than anywhere else. This is not just connected to the rousing support I enjoy every time I am around but more significantly, the historical and anthropological space we share. As a Marghi man from Gulak my ancestral faith and yours are rooted together in terms of origin, culture and struggles. I Therefore make bold to say arise, your king is here. Usma ngul Mava.

Our train for project commissioning has landed in the historic town of Hong. This is, one in the series of our project commissioning which was kickstarted last week with the commissioning of the urban roads in Numan and Michika, followed by the overdue Toungo electrification project. Today we are in Hong and tomorrow Insha Allah, the train is headed for Yola, to continue with the commissioning of the Zumo Street and Doctor’s Quarters Road in Yola-South. 

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, the project we are about to commission today is the 3.2 km urban road with fitting drainage. This road is a stretch from European Quarters, Ploti, Anguwan Huasawa, Wuro Dole and Waja wards in Hong town. This campaign is part of the package for our urban renewal campaign. We hope to sustain it until all our urban centers and semi-urban centers wear a befitting look not only for ecstasies but for the comfort and convenience of our teaming populace and visiting investors. 

The urban renewal campaign is a reality. The plan is a carefully crafted policy which aims to raise the standard of our State capital to attract investors to the State and equally to improve the infrastructural status of our semi-urban centers. Away from the State capital, we have sensibly selected a number of semi-urban centers for infrastructural facelift. This is partly, our mitigation measures against a retarding rural-urban drift. It is hoped that these semi-urban centers, once elevated to cosmopolitan hubs will serve as holding points for the clusters of communities around them and our hardworking population who would ordinarily be attracted to the cities by municipal trappings. 

While working hard on the urban renewal campaign, we have not lost sight on the need to open up our rural areas for access. Coincidentally, it was in this Local Government that we symbolically commission the 347-km Rural Roads across the State. Wuro Bokki – Uding – Pella; Hong – Mijilli – Kuva Gaya and; Kala’a – Dilwachiri River Crossing Roads all in Hong Local Government, are part of these Rural Roads. The intention is to link the rural areas to the semi-urban centers for easy access and crosspollination of economic and social activities. Last week, we went to Toungo to celebrate their connection to the National Grid, today I want to announce that before the end of the year we hope to connect Fadama Rake and environs to the National Grid.       

To demonstrate good faith to the sustainability of this campaign, I am happy to announce a second leg of the Hong project by extending it from European Quarters to Government Lodge linked to Mubi Road. On this note, I urge the contractors of the project to remain in Hong while we sort out all the necessary procurement process for the new extension. 

During one of my supervisory tour on project monitoring, I identified a dreadful ecological menace which has the tendency of consuming settlements in the heart of the town. To arrest the situation, we proactively awarded the contract for the construction of a 577-Meter Canal, stretching from LCCN Thlabu cutting across Wurodole to Anguwa Hausawa. I am happy to note that the project is progressing satisfactorily and we hope to deliver on it before the rains becomes heavier. The urban renewal campaign would be heading to Uba town to complete all the abandoned township roads. On this note, I want to announce that all the engineering design and costing for the control of Anguwan Mayanka erosion in Uba town has been concluded and the project is ready for award anytime soon. 

The contractors handling the abandoned 40-km Pella-Maiha Road has been recalled to site. The project is going on progressively and by my order, we are likely to complete and commission the project before the end of the year.

Distinguished Guest, Ladies and Gentlemen, we are committed to laying the foundation for good governance and inclusive development. I am often asked, why am I in such hurry? Or rather why are we taking on so many things at the same time? And my answer has always been in a rhetoric question: what are we taking that has been taken by those before us? If not now when? And if not done by us, who? Time is of essence and every minute counts. We cannot afford to delay the destiny of Adamawa State by exerting and wasting our energy on political scuffles that distracts and retard our development. Every part of Adamawa is endowed with the right ingredient for shared prosperity. Our 11-point agenda is carefully crafted to respond to such prosperity. Once we collectively agree to break the chain that tie us to an ugly past, we can unlock the opportunities that would propel us to greatness.   

Our commissioned studies on the State and its potentials, indicate that with the right leadership, we can change the fortune of our people for the better. Hong Local Government drives its greatest strength in its human intellectual resources. Education can be harnessed and package as your area of comparative advantage. As an administration, we are available not only to lead the process of such packaging but to create the necessary enablers for commercializing and off-taking of such intellect. We shall improve the quality of school infrastructure of all the schools in Adamawa State and create the right link between literacy and skill acquisition.    We are prosecuting a lifechanging reform in the agribusiness sector with the planned lunch of the ADAMAWA STATE AGRIBUSINESS SUPPORT PROGRAMME. I am calling on all our citizens to support and prepare to exploit the opportunities in the programme. As an administration, we are powered by an aggressive drive to change the narrative of the State. The guiding philosophy is to ensure no one is left behind and nothing is left untouched. 

At this point, I want to appreciate Rocad Construction for delivering on this project according to specifications and understanding the psychology of our administration which is rooted in speed and precision. 

I want to profoundly thank our Special Guest, Mal. Muhammad Musa Bello, the Minister of FCT. One of Adamawa’s prized gift to Nigeria, for honouring our invitation. I must confess that I have a lot of admiration for the Minister and couldn’t have settled for anybody less, in this moment of celebration of the glory of Adamawa State. 

At this juncture, may I have the honour to invite the Minister to formally commission the 3.2-Km European Quarters Road to the glory of God and service of humanity.   

Thank you and God bless.