Sokoto State Governor tasks NIPSS to conduct studies on security, economy

Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has called on participants of the Senior Executive Course (SEC) of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) to conduct a research on the security and economic challenges of the country.

The Governor stated this while receiving the participants of the SEC Course 43 of the NIPSS led by Professor Dung Pam Sha, who were on a study tour to Sokoto State, at the Council Chamber of Sokoto Government House.

In a statement by Tambuwal Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Muhammad Bello, the Governor said being a think-tank with vast experience in issues of governance, the Institute needs to conduct a research on the economic and security challenges of the country in order to find solution to the problems.

He also charged the Institute and the participants to find ways of making the private sector more attractive than the public service due to the economic situation of the country.

He said as a team the participants have a role to play by looking at what is happening around the public service in Nigeria and how best they can make it more productive, pointing out that the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has weakened the civil service structure.

Restructuring

On restructuring, the Governor said the country does not need any physical or geographical reconfiguration, but what will make life better for the people.

Tambuwal also charged the federal government on recruitment, welfare and  training of security personnel so as to enable them perform their duty effectively.

He enumerated some of the achievements of his administration as: preparing youths in the state, especially girls for the future through Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, social investment targeting the indigent, economic support for youths, prompt payment of salary and pensions. He also stressed that the state government is doing its best in addressing the challenges of gratuity as well as other allowances to the workers even at the government is managing its funds in order to meet the needs in other sectors.

He added that despite the economic challenges in the country, the state government does not intend to sack workers. Instead an agreement would be brokered, when the need arises, to source for funds by taxing elected officials and political appointees to pay the civil servants pending when the situation improves and the deductions made would be repaid.

Tambuwal further said Sokoto state government is collaborating with the state chapter of the Alumni Association of the National Institute (AANI) in order to promote good governance in the state, assuring that the collaboration will continue. He also appreciated the immense contribution of the local chapter which has the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar and other prominent indigenes as members.

Success story

Earlier in his remarks, the leader of the delegation, Professor Dung Pam Sha, informed the Governor that they were in the state to conduct a study tour.

He said they have visited so many sites of the state government projects and were impressed with the huge investment on education, health among others.

Pam Sha also commended the Governor for being gender sensitive in the appointment of cabinet members and other top jobs in the state workforce.

Emmanuel Ukoh