(http://fmi.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/DSC_00062-300x199.jpg) Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema of Katsina State has assured that his administration will continue to utilize the resources of the state with prudence stating that the funds being spent in building the New Government House Complex were neither sourced from loan nor the state's allocations but from savings realized from its fixed deposit investment accruing to about 8 billion naira.
The Governor who made this known at the project site during an inspection by members of the National Good Governance Tour on Tuesday said: "We have a policy here of trying to manage our meager resources as best as we can".
He said "As we award contracts, we normally don't award a contract unless we are sure we can pay for it. So when we award a contract we separate the money for that contract. We pay the contractor an advance, the balance we invest and as he goes on to complete the job we pay him. But that balance we invest before we finalize your contract. Before we pay you it is yielding us interest.
"So out of that interest, we generated over 8 billion naira for the state government and we felt we should use part of that interest to drop something that we can remember. This is an extra money, we are not bound by any law not to run fixed deposits. The money might as well be in current account but we said no, we must generate some small money and the result is this major complex that came purely from interest from our deposits".
According to State Officials, the first Government House was inherited from the colonial masters while successive governments added structures to it.
The need to build a new Government House therefore became imperative when room for expansion was no longer available.
The new complex consists of the Governor's Office, his residential quarters, meeting rooms, fitness centre and the Presidential Wing.
Other aspects of the project include the Deputy Governor's Office, Security Quarters, the Presidential Banquet Hall, a Press Centre, Clinic and Steward Quarters. The furnishing of the entire complex has also been paid for upfront.
The Nigeria Union of Journalists President, Mohammed Garba called on other Governors to emulate the initiative and prudence of Governor Shema describing the project as laudable.
In his remarks, the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku stated that if people are honest money would be available for development. "You go to some states and you find people complaining, then you go to other states and wonder where the money is coming from", Maku stated.
He equally pointed out that for a long time public money was dumbed in private accounts. "The Governor could have said save this money in my private account and they will take the interest from. This is creative management of funds. Meager funds available has given you 8 billion.
"That's why I was saying Governance needs brains, youth and vision. Your creative thinking can give you resources you never thought were there. This is a very big story. The media should be fair, the media should report development because as you report, everybody will also learn to do something. Nobody has all the knowledge", Maku emphasized.
Via: Federal Ministry of Information (FMI) Nigeria