The Sokoto State Governor, Dr Aliyu Ahmad has delivered on the campaign promises on infrastructure development made to the people of state.
The Commissioner for Lands, Housing, Survey and Town Planning , Barrister Nasiru Aliyu Dan Tsoho said this in an interview with journalist.
He said given the giant strides made on infrastructure development across various sectors, in the last one year, the governor had surpassed the expectations of the people.
“The Governor is my very good friend, we attended the same secondary school. Without boasting, I can say that I know him fairly well because we have been together from the beginning.
“I can to a large extent predict him, but as governor he has pleasantly surprised me and many others who initially thought the governor would perform averagely.
“The governor has superseded expectations and is still determined to surprise cynics who think his performance is a flash in the pan.
“Governor Ahmad would continue to daze them because of the mentality that he has brought to the assignment.
“He wants to repay the people who have stood by him with performance.
“And for him, his promise is like an oath, he has a fantastic memory and this has helped him in recollecting the promises that he made, once he remembers, expect immediate action.”
He said the governor at inception inherited several issues in governance, saying that practical steps had been adopted to bring solutions and develop the state.
” We inherited crisis in virtually every sector. Take the Gidan Salanke Housing Estate Project which was abandoned and the contractor had dragged the government to court.
” Because the previous administration didn’t keep to the terms of the contract agreement, We negotiated with the contractors because it’s not good for a government to be dragged to court because government is continuity and because the governor believes in justice.
” On a daily basis, we are engaging with contractors who were not paid for contracts executed.
“Like I said we completed the Rijiyar Dorowa flyover, which we met around 65 per cent completion but was abandoned.
” Again we had to negotiate with the contractor who had abandoned the site,unfortunately there were no documents since Aminu Tambuwal decided not to do a proper handover.”
He said the administration was not in anyway hostile to the former governor, nothing that it has responsibility to inform the people of Sokoto state, the situation of things.
“For instance, the Sokoto Central Market was burnt, while the former administration initiated the reconstruction of the market but unknown to the good people of Sokoto state, the market had actually been mortgaged.
“Some weeks ago the government received a notice from one of the commercial banks that it is entitled to more than 50 per cent of the stores in the market.
“The former administration left no document on the transaction, there is no evidence of what they did with the, but we are engaging the bank to see how we can retrieve our property from them.
” Thankfully the governor came prepared, he has refused to be distracted by the challenges.
“His capacity to absorb shock is amazing and his maturity in handling situations, he would always find a way to resolve the situation.
“He knows where he is headed to which explains why he works 24 hours,he is equal to the task. “
