We’ve Attracted $400m Foreign Investments In 4 Years – El-Rufai’s Deputy

Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, said on Sunday that, his administration has in its first four years, attracted foreign investments worth $400 million to the state.

The governor, who stated this through his deputy, Arch Barnabas Bala Bantex  during the thanksgiving and inauguration Sunday service at First Baptist Church, Ahmadu Bello way, Kaduna added that, the fit was achievable due to his policies on ease of doing business in the state.

“Even though time will not part me to say much about what we have achieved within the past four years as this will be my last Sunday service as deputy governor, permit me to mention some. We have attracted 400 million dollars from international investors because of our policy on ease of doing business that have placed our state on global business map,” he said.

Highlighting some of the achievements of this administration the governor said, remarkable successes have been recorded in health, education, agriculture and security of the state among others.

He said, “my governor has directed me to lead my Christian colleagues in government to come and seek God face for the next four years.  Four years ago, my governor and myself swore to an oath to lead the state.

“What we have done in the last four years is to do those things that will please God. We never deviate from the plans we set for ourselves. We were admonished in that oath to stand in justice and fairness to all manner of people without fear or favour. We were called upon to read carefully the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria especially the chapter two which stated clearly the fundamental human rights. But, we know that, whatever good you are doing, is always meet with resistance. 

“In the course of our campaigns in 2014, the governor went round and met with different groups including the churches and mosques to ensure his government is founded on justice and fairness.

“I cannot stand here to say all we have done in four years because of time but I will try and touch some. The problems we are facing in Nigeria today is because we have not address the root cause long time ago. The problem of killing and kidnapping today is because there was no good educatiein for many of the perpetrators. Today in Kaduna, our education sector has received a turn around boost.

“When we came in, we discovered that, 80 percent of resources in the state were been expended on civil servants. We reduced cost of governance in all areas. As at that time, about N2 billion was meant for running of government house alone. We reduced that to about quarter of that amount. 

“Kaduna has been paying workers’ salaries up to date. We are the first to implement single treasury account which is helping us to judiciously make use of our resources. Today, open government partnership (OGP) gives room for every citizen to track all our projects to ensure that government is using our money judiciously.

“We took our health very seriously. Today, there is at least, one standard primary health care center in each of the 23 local government areas of the state in addition to other ongoing reforms. 

“On education, we have done a lot and today, our reforms in the education sector are beginning to manifest in our children. We did the reforms, they might have been painful, but, we have beginning to see the impacts and we shall see more in years to come.”

Talking about the challenge of his administration he said, “we never say we are perfect, but with your prayers and godly support, the government can do better. 

“Our problem is that of perception. Perception is a very dangerous thing. I don’t know that until I come into government. But by the grace of God, we were not detered in putting things in rightful positions. We keep working to do what God want us to do,” he stated.