Vice President Namadi Sambo, has called on newly elected and returning governors to remain faithful to their campaign promises by serving the people diligently.
He made the call in Abuja at the weekend at a forum, organised by the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) to mark the end of a three-day symposium/induction programme.
“As we all know, Nigeria is greater than any individual or group. As we are saddled with a new mandate, our stake is to serve faithfully and diligently as provided for in the law.
“As elected representatives, we are for all and as such, we must work for all. We must appreciate the enormity of the tasks ahead of us, which is to provide the necessary critical infrastructure.
“We must provide adequate security and enabling environment for small and medium enterprises,’’ Sambo said.
He urged the governors to eschew primordial sentiments and to see themselves as representative of the people while striving to promote rule of law and natural justice.
He charged the governors to address illiteracy, maternal mortality and poverty.
The vice president noted that the mandate bestowed on them by the people required that they provided the services for their benefit.
According to Sambo, the just-concluded elections, adjudged free and fair by both local and international observers, are the first steps of government’s commitment to delivering on its promises.
He assured the governors of the Federal Government’s commitment to collaborating with them for the progress of the country.
He said that it was time that the country took its strategic place in the comity of nations, assuring that the Federal Government was ready to provide the needed leadership and direction to achieve the goal.
He called on Nigerians to give all tiers of government the needed support and cooperation for the transformation of the country.
Sambo explained that it was to transform the socio-economic position of Nigerians and eradicate poverty among the people, that the Federal Government decided to tackle the power supply challenge.
He said that plans were on to build 10 new power plants that would add about 5, 000mw of electricity to the country‘s present power generation.
“We are constructing over 4, 000km of transmission lines and hundreds of injection substation in our various cities in this country. We are also investing in the development of hydro power plants,’’ Sambo said.
He said that arrangement had also being concluded to award the contract for the Zungeru Hydro Power Plant which he said would add 700MW to the country‘s power generation level and provide over 30, 000 hectares of land for irrigation.
The vice president told the governors that the Federal Government would in the fourth quarter of this year conclude the design and documentation for the construction of the Manbila Hydro Power Plant.
He said that government was considering the establishment of a coal power plant while efforts were being made to rehabilitate the country‘s abandoned rail system and construct new ones.
He stated that the Federal Government was collaborating with governors to ensure that every child in the country had the opportunity and access to education.
Sambo noted that education was critical to ensuring that the country became one of the most developed economies by the year 2020.
He expressed gratitude to developmental partners in the country for their support and for ensuring that Nigeria’s development needs were achieved.