Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
 The British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gill Atkinson has lauded the people of Kebbi State and Government over their unique achievements on low crime rate,  peaceful environment and stability in the state.
Atkinson who stated this on Thursday in Birnin Kebbi during his courtesy visit to Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu at Government House as parts of her three days visit to the state , noted that the state’s stability stands her out among it counterparts in the Northern region of the country.
    According to her, “I am hugely impressed by the people of Kebbi State. This is the first time British High Commission’s visit to the state to anyone of us can remember but I am told we have been here in the past. To me and my team, this is a learning visit; the state stands out because of its peace, stability and lower rate of crime.
“This is a credit to your people, security services and government of the state for leading the state with lowest crime in the country,” she said.
Atkinson also commended the people of the state for moving from traditional form of making a living into the current world as well as imagination that had been put into technical projects.
“We have seen some amazing entrepreneurship skills and enthusiasm with people learning to develop their families,” she said.
Atkinson also called on the state government to address challenges of poverty, poor statistics for education, health with strong strategic plans.
In his remark, Governor Abubakar AtikuBagudu, commended the United Kingdom for supporting Nigeria’s independence, independent of electoral empire, judiciary and press freedom.
He stressed that President Muhammadu Buhari had always allowed freedom of judiciary and other arms of government in the country.
He recalled that the ruling party, All Progressives Congress(APC) had lost elections in Bayelsa, Anambra, Adamawa, Bauchi and Oyo states, noting that,” Such has never happened when a ruling party is in control in the country”.
“The ruling party APC also lost elections in fielding candidates in River and Zamfara States due to independent of judiciary which President Buhari allowed to operate freely.”