19 hours Ago By Kareem Azeez
Governor Abdullahi Sule has declared that a total sum of N461 million has been disbursed to each of the 13 local governments in the state by the Federal Government as signature bonuses. He announced that, for the first time ever, local government areas in the state have received N461 million each, disbursed by the Federal Government as a signature bonus. He warned them against misusing the funds, emphasizing that the money should be channeled towards development initiatives.
“The Federal Government has disbursed the money. Every local government is going to get about N461 million. It is your money.
Not one naira is coming to the state. We are not taking any part of your money,” he said. However, he warned that his administration would strictly monitor the utilization of the funds, directing the council chairmen to submit their proposals on how they intend to use the funds and to liaise with the permanent secretaries to align with his administration’s development agenda.
Consequently, Sule also cautioned all local government chairmen to be prudent and judicious in their spending of the bonuses. Meanwhile, Governor Sule issued marching orders to permanent secretaries, stressing the need to sustain the tempo in line with his administration’s goals, pending the reconstitution of the state cabinet. Sule gave the directives during a meeting with permanent secretaries and local government chairmen at the Government House on Tuesday.
The governor warned that, during the remaining two years, his administration would aggressively pursue its goals, especially in the implementation of the 2025 budget. He said that, as the engine room of their respective ministries, the permanent secretaries are expected to hit the ground running. “We want to be aggressive in these last two years.
We want to do the best we can. The people of Nasarawa State expect a lot, and we are also seeing a lot coming to us, and we want to do the best,” he said. Sule revealed that the incompetence of most of his appointees was responsible for his recent dissolution of the cabinet.
“I don’t want anything to slow me down. We have a lot of things already lined up, and for me, that is even the best way to test your capacity. You are referred to as the engine room of the various ministries, so let the engine actually get working.
It’s time for you to get things working,” he stated. READ ALSO: Nasarawa gov warns LG chairs against misusing N461m signature bonus “I am looking forward to ensuring that even the ones we are bringing back as commissioners are people that we believe are square pegs in square holes. That way, we will be able to fit in perfectly and drive our budget.
” He further urged the permanent secretaries to always seek clarification whenever they encounter challenges. The governor, who could not hide the pressures mounted on him by groups and individuals lobbying to be included in the list of the new cabinet, said he will only appoint people whom he believes have the capacity to drive his policies within the next two years of his administration and not “come and chop” appointees who do not know their left from their right and cannot defend their offices..
