From Ibrahim Goronyo, Sokoto
Sokoto State governor, Ahmed Aliyu said his administration has not borrowed from any financial institution to execute developmental projects neither is it owing any contractor.
The governor stated this while presenting the 2025 Appropriation Bill before the House of Assembly.
Aliyu said his administration pays contractors between 30 and 50 percent down payment for them to mobilise to site and subsequently, keeps paying contractors based on the progress they make in their works.
According to him, once a contractor completes his work and is certified by engineers, he receives bank alert of his remaining balance immediately without going to the Ministry of Finance to lobby.
“We have put in place an effective, prudent and transparent financial system that enables us to achieve success without taking loans,” he said.
While giving a scorecard of his administration, Governor Aliyu said it inherited N15 billion unpaid accumulated gratuity, which is gradually being defrayed.
He added that his administration uses N500 million monthly to settle the backlog of unpaid gratuity and had also set aside another N300 million monthly to pay those retiring during his tenure.
On the issue of urban renewal, the governor said Sokoto city is now wearing a new look, making it at par with its contemporaries in the world. According to the governor, the city is also looking very neat, with solar-powered street lights being fixed across the 23 local government areas.
Other projects executed by his administration include the distribution of palliatives and other financial support to the people of the state as part of measures to cushion the effects of the removal of oil subsidy.
He added that the state government had also purchased 110 mass transit buses and taxi cabs for intra and intercity services.
The governor called on the people to continue to rally round his administration for it to continue with the good work it has started.
