The Vice President of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shettima, commissioned the multibillion-naira newly reconstructed and remodelled ultramodern Government House in Bauchi on Saturday.
The new government house comprises the governor’s office, the deputy governor’s office, the deputy governor’s office, and the SSG’s office, as well as the governor’s official residence and two different banquet halls.
While commissioning the edifice, the Vice President commended Sen. Bala Mohammed for having the foresight and determination to embark on the project in spite of the paucity of funds available to the government.
Kashim Shettima wants governors from the Northeastern subregion to prioritise infrastructure and economic growth initiatives in their collective struggle to establish legacy projects in their respective states.
He stressed that effective leadership required a conducive working environment that would facilitate the formulation and implementation of laudable policies and programmes.
Kashim Shettima said that “this will facilitate effective service delivery to the people of the state, charging leaders to always prioritise developmental projects so as to block the infrastructural gaps in their respective states for development.
The Vice President commended Sen. Bala Mohammed for his many developmental projects, including giving the people of the state a new seat of power.
Speaking earlier, Governor Bala Mohammed, who said the former government house was characterised by inadequate space, delayed structures, and an unfavourable working environment, noted that he was inspired to reconstruct the seat of power under his administration’s urban renewal initiative.
Bala Mohammed said that with this development, his dream, vision, and mission of giving the people of the state a brand new seat of government have been achieved.
He stressed that it has been part of his development agenda since 2019, when he was first elected and sworn in as governor of the state.
He appreciated the Vice President for devoting his time to honour the invitation.
In their separate remarks, two former governors of the state, Major General Chris Abutu Garuba (Rtd) and Ahmed Adamu Muazu, thanked Sen. Bala Mohammed for his vision of building a new government house.
They said that the edifice has further brought to light the beauty of the state by projecting it for the world to see, as it can now compete with others in terms of a befitting government house.
The former governors said that the new Bauchi government house is a complete departure from the past government house, stressing that it is the major intervention within the government house since the state was created in 1976.
The Commissioner of Housing and Environment, Rt Hon. Danlami Ahmed Kawule, said that the project was to make the state envy other states in terms of a befitting government house.
The contractor handling the project, Arch Ruben Okoya, itemised the differences between the former government house and the new one.
He boasted that the project could stand the test of time in terms of quality and finesse.
The event had an attendance of six governors from the northeastern subregion, former governors of the state, members of the National Assembly, and emirs from within and outside the state, among others.
In a related development, Vice President Kashim Shettima inaugurated the 15th Northeast Joint Trade Fair at Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida IBB Square, Bauchi.
The Vice President also officially launched the Accelerated Senior Secondary Education Programme (ASSEP), an initiative of the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) aimed at bridging the educational gap uncovered in secondary education devastated by insurgency in the North East subregion.
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