Change Has Come: A Special Broadcast by His Excellency, the Governor of Adamawa State, Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri

 CHANGE HAS COME

BEING TEXT OF A SPECIAL BROADCAST BY HIS EXCELLENCY, THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF ADAMAWA STATE, RT. HON. AHMADU UMARU FINTIRI, TO MARK THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF HIS SECOND TERM ON 29TH MAY, 2024

Fellow Citizens of Adamawa State, 

I am delighted to address you on another anniversary of our return to civilian administration; a celebration of our peoples’ preference of participatory democracy over dictatorship. For us in Adamawa State, we are also celebrating the onset of real positive change engendered in the promise of democracy. 

Exactly five years ago, I took the Oath of Office to serve as your democratically-elected Governor. In my address at the occasion, I stated that ‘’Positive change has come to Adamawa State’’. 

I was conscious of the hope of our people and the trust in me to bring about the positive change for all Adamawa people regardless of tribe, religion, social background or political inclination. The task ahead was very clear in my mind and I was fully committed to discharging it with the zeal of a missionary. 

Precisely one year ago, I took another Oath of Office for my second Term. 

If my election for the First Term was a Trust, my second election represents a Vote of Confidence and an impetus to do more. 

I remain immensely grateful for the confidence and the opportunity to further serve. I wish to use this opportunity to reiterate my commitment to serve you with unwavering determination. 

Over the last five years, I and my team served the state to the best of our ability and the fear of God. Guided by our 11-point Agenda which has now been recalibrated to an 8-point Agenda and the philosophy of ensuring that ‘no one is left behind and nothing is left untouched’, we have made indelible footprints on all sectors and in all Local Government Areas of the state. From the Savannah regions in the North, to the dense forests of Toungo; from the border regions of Maiha to the Benue troughs of Lamurde; from Gurin to Shelleng, Yola to Mayo-Belwa; indeed, in all wards and communities, we have ensured that everyone and everything feels the breeze of ‘Fresh Air’. The change we promised has become real. 

Our strategic leadership style has also been guided by our partnership with you, our beloved citizens, hence, we prioritized an all-inclusive, people-oriented government. Much of our successes therefore is attributed to your support as well as your resilience in the face of attempts by some desperate politicians to manipulate you. I salute your sense of patriotism. 

I specially salute the support and understanding of our youths with whom I have engaged at different levels. My administration is committed to harnessing the abundant talent and creativity of Adamawa Youths so as to entrust them with our future. We are heavily investing in their education, engaging many through pensionable employment and empowering others with skills, funds and ideas to make them self-sufficient. 

With your support and understanding, we have been able to execute massive and unprecedented developmental projects such as roads, bridges, fly-overs, schools, hospitals, housing projects, and so on. Yola is gradually assuming the status of one of the most modern state capitals in the country and the destination of choice for hosting conferences and meetings. We shall do more. The new superhighway linking the upcoming fly-over at A.A. Lawan junction and ½ cloverleaf fly-over along Yola-Numan road, the 1,000 units Fintiri Housing Estate, the new Shopping Mall, the Stadium and other projects which are all being flagged-off or on-going will add to the positive transformation of our state capital. 

Our hope is that these infrastructural developmental strides coupled with the sustained peace and security will provide a favourable platform for businesses to thrive. These measures will attract investors to the numerous sectors that God has endowed us with such as in agriculture, mineral resources, tourism and so on. We have also implemented several reforms to enhance Ease-of-doing-Business in the state such as improved efficiency in property registration and sustainability of land-based investment process, improved regulatory framework for private investment in fibre-optic infrastructure, development of an effective Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) framework, increased transparency of official fees and procedures, and so on. I am glad that investors are responding. 

A major objective for all our policies, projects and programmes is to fight poverty. The massive infrastructural facilities are also intended to allow you and our investors to engage in profitable economic activities. In this regard, we are passionate about education. We believe that addressing Out-of-School syndrome, providing free education, paying WAEC and NECO fees for our candidates, building and furnishing new schools, recruiting more teachers and so on that we have been doing will ease the economic burden on parents and equip our youths with the tools to swim out of poverty. Similarly, we are paying special attention to skills acquisition as well as Science and Technology. In this regard, I am happy to announce that we have commenced the process for the construction of three new comprehensive Technical Schools, one in each Senatorial zone. One of these schools is going to be exclusively for girls. 

Furthermore, we will continue to empower our people especially women and youths. I have directed that in every quarter, 10,000 beneficiaries will be selected and given #50,000 each under the Fintiri Business Wallet Scheme. We are also working with the World Bank to commit over 15 billion naira to empower women towards viable economic activities. 

I have also constituted a committee on Food Security in the state; the committee has submitted a Report that is already receiving favourable attention. Among others, we have commenced plans to prepare, in phases, 300 hectares of land in every Local Government Area and make it available for cultivation by our youths. We shall continue to support all farming activities and livestock husbandry with inputs and improved varieties of seeds.

Furthermore, our programmes and policies are intended to cast strong pillars for the Adamawa of our future dreams. By effectively managing our diversity, we hope that Adamawa state will be transformed into a state that is socially cohesive, economically vibrant and politically stable, and whose citizens would only be judged by the content of their character rather than primordial sentiments. 

I want to specially thank our Civil Servants and the Organized Labour for their solidarity. We shall continue to pay priority attention to the remuneration of workers and the entitlement of retirees as demonstrated by the recent release of 3 billion naira for payment of gratuities. 

I charge those who have just been appointed or will be appointed into government Boards and Parastatals to place the welfare and interest of the people ahead of any other consideration. 

The Adamawa State Independent Electoral Commission that has just been inaugurated should prepare and conduct elections into the Local Government Councils in July this year.  

Our plans to construct a Modern Shopping Mall at the erstwhile Jimeta Shopping Complex and the reconstruction of the Yola Market are all intended to boost commercial activities in a more secure and conducive environment. Ultimately, this is in the interest of the traders and the state, with benefits that far outweigh the temporary inconveniences that it entails. 

We shall continue to devote our energy, intellect and resources for security and peace-building as well as infrastructural development. 

At this juncture, I wish our pilgrims safe journey and God’s blessings and request that they pray for Adamawa state as part of their obligations and be good ambassadors of the state.  

Let us reaffirm our commitment to unity, progress and inclusivity. Together, we can build a state where every voice is heard, every dream is nurtured and every opportunity is within reach. Let us continue to embrace the spirit of democracy and build a society where justice, freedom and opportunity thrive for all. 

Thank you and God bless you.