From: Linus Oota, Lafia
Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura of Nasarawa State has donated assorted relief materials worth over N300 million to over 50 communities affected by communal clashes, floods and other natural occurrences in the past four years.
The governor, at the event, said the special intervention was aimed at cushioning the effect of the hardship suffered by the residents of these communities whose situation was compounded by the biting economic crunch.
Dispatching over 70 trucks to the affected communities cutting across the entire state, Governor Almakura, said the event was the fifth in a series of government efforts to bring succor to crisis ridden communities in the state.
He said government employed community based conflict resolution initiative to tackle communal clashes since 2011 which has brought about relative peace and tranquility, noting further that the distribution of the relief materials was in furtherance to the promotion of peace enjoyed in the state.
Al-makura commended the state council of traditional rulers and other stakeholders for keying into the conflict resolution mechanism.
He said: “I am proud to say that despite all the crisis and natural disasters, no single community in the three zones has Internally Displaced Peoples camp which typifies the brotherliness of the people of Nasarawa state and the best conflict mechanisms employed by this administration which is all inclusive”.
Some of the benefitting communities include: Assakio, Alakyo, Arikya, Kampani, Kwarra districts, Iggah, Tudun Adabu in Lafia local government, Udeni Magaji in Nasarawa local government, Tudun Adabu, Daddere in Obi local governmt, among others.
Earlier, the secretary to the state government, Barrister Mohammed Abdullahi, stated that the items distributed include: 30,000 bags of cement, 5000 bags of rice, 5000 packets of roofing nails and 3000 cartons of Maggi cubes
The governor also uses the occasion to justify the demolition of a private radio station (Breeze FM) recently in the state, adding that government will not pay any compensation as is being suggested in some quarters.
“You cannot have a radio station where you have a restaurant, a business centre and a prayer centre. It does not happen anywhere, “he said.
He added that the demolition exercise that brought down the radio station would also affect other structures that failed to adhere strictly to laid down laws on buildings.
He said “All houses built on wrong sites, which have not adhered to development regulations, will be destroyed whether they are residences, factories or radio stations, people must learn to comply and abide by rules and regulations,” he said.
According to him, government has already directed development control agencies and the Ministry of Land to identify homes, offices and commercial centers that do not conform or abide by regulations and give them statutory notices.
“After the notices, their structures will definitely go down the way Breeze FM went, so I want to use this opportunity to call on people to please abide by the rules and regulations,” he said.