Tag: Governor Lawal

  • Ex-perm secs commend Governor Lawal over capital projects 

    Ex-perm secs commend Governor Lawal over capital projects 

    The Association of Zamfara State Retired Permanent Secretaries has commended the Zamfara State government’s impactful projects under Governor Dauda Lawal. 

    The governor received an award of honour from the association at the Government House Conference Hall, Gusau. 

    A statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, disclosed that the association highlighted the state government’s key achievements as the main reason for the honour. 

    The statement added that Governor Lawal, in his speech, expressed gratitude to the Zamfara Retired Permanent Secretaries Association for considering him worthy of the award of honour. 

    The governor said there is no greater honour than an award from an association of senior citizens who have served the state diligently.

    READ ALSO: Fed Govt set to reclaim ungoverned spaces with re-engagement of military retirees

    “I was informed about the plan to host me at a grand dinner, but time did not permit it. It was not deliberate; it was due to the tight schedule at my office.

    “Everywhere, people are following what my government is doing. Like I always say, we are very transparent and accountable. 

    “I came into office with a clear agenda. My six-point manifesto puts security first. We are achieving a lot across all six areas that I pledged to address during the campaign. 

    “We have to do what we are doing to open up the state for investors. Insha Allah, in the next few months, our international airport will be ready. 

    “There is no local government in Zamfara where I haven’t invested over 20 billion naira in projects. Visit the local governments to see the ongoing work. We are accomplishing a lot. We are seeing steady improvements in the state’s security. Additionally, our internally generated revenue has risen from 80 million to over five billion naira.” 

    Earlier, Muhammad Bello Umar, Chairman of the Zamfara State Retired Permanent Secretaries Association, said the honour is to commend Governor Lawal for the notable achievements of his administration since it began in 2023. 

    He said, “Right from the very beginning, he showed enthusiasm and dedication by introducing a six-point agenda. As senior citizens who have served under multiple administrations, we want to affirm that this administration has exceeded expectations and distinguished itself in workers’ welfare, education, health, and other infrastructural improvements.

    “At our Annual General Meeting, when you were barely 6 months in office, we requested payment of outstanding gratuities, which this government obliged and settled. All pending payments, totalling over 13 billion, were paid. Thank you for that. 

    “The history of Zamfara will remember you with honour. I appreciate your generosity towards our members, especially during medical emergencies.”

  • Governor Lawal begins PDP stakeholder engagement in 14 LGs 

    Governor Lawal begins PDP stakeholder engagement in 14 LGs 

    Governor Dauda Lawal has begun a statewide strategic stakeholder engagement with Zamfara chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to evaluate performances.

    A statement by his spokesperson, Sulaiman Idris, said the stakeholder engagement aimed at strategising and discussing issues concerning the party and the state at large.

    Idris said the meeting began on Tuesday at the Rescue Hall in the Government House, Gusau, with party stakeholders from Gummi and Maru Local Government Areas.

    “The engagement provides a platform where the governor discusses important political issues impacting the party and the state.

    READ ALSO: Fed Govt set to reclaim ungoverned spaces with re-engagement of military retirees

    “In the coming weeks, Governor Lawal will host PDP stakeholders from all 14 local government areas of Zamfara State.

    “During the meetings, Governor Lawal will listen to stakeholders’ concerns, advice, and critical evaluation of the situation in their respective communities.

    “Such stakeholder engagement demonstrates that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) remains a strong and influential force across the state,” Idris said. 

  • Kebbi varsity confers doctorate degree on Governor Lawal   

    Kebbi varsity confers doctorate degree on Governor Lawal   

    The Abdullahi Fodio University of Science and Technology, Aliero, conferred an honorary doctorate on Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State. 

    The honour was bestowed on Saturday during the university’s joint maiden convocation at the University Convocation Arena in Aleru.

    A statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, noted that Governor Lawal was selected and confirmed for the honorary doctorate by the university’s Senate. 

    He added that the maiden convocation commenced on Wednesday with a press briefing by the Vice Chancellor, Engr. Prof. Danshehu Bagudu Gwandangaji. 

    The statement read in parts: “On Saturday, Governor Dauda Lawal was conferred with an Honorary Degree by the Abdullahi Fodio University of Science and Technology. 

    “The university said the honour reflects its commitment to recognising individuals whose work has had a meaningful and lasting impact on society. 

    “The Kebbi State Varsity conferred on Governor Lawal the Degree of Doctor of Science (D.Sc) Honoris Causa in recognition of his distinguished service and contributions to societal development. 

    “The Senate highlighted Governor Lawal’s achievements in education, health, infrastructure, the economy, and workers’ welfare as major reasons for the honour.

    “Such recognitions will make the governor put more effort into his resolve to make Zamfara State greater.”

    Earlier, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Bagudu Danshehu, revealed that since its founding in 2005, the university has graduated 7,221 undergraduate students, along with 669 postgraduate students, between the 2010/2011 and 2023/2024 academic sessions. 

  • Governor Lawal to renovate ABU VC’s lodge, hospital 

    Governor Lawal to renovate ABU VC’s lodge, hospital 

    Zamfara State Government has offered to renovate the dilapidated Vice Chancellor’s Lodge and Sickbay at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. 

    Shamsuddeen Ibrahim, Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to Governor Dauda Lawal, disclosed this when he visited the university to inspect the lodge and medical facility for assessment. 

    Ibrahim was taken round the two places on 25 December, 2025 by the Vice Chancellor, Prof Adamu Ahmed. 

    The Vice Chancellor was accompanied by the Director, Physical Planning and Municipal Services, Arc. Mukhtar H Mohammed; and the Provost, Postgraduate College, Prof Olayinka Okubanjo. 

    The visit to the university by the governor’s aide was in preparation for the taking over of the sites for the rehabilitation. 

    The aide was first at the Vice-Chancellor’s Lodge at Site I, Area ‘A’, Main Campus, Samaru, Zaria, where he was taken round all parts of the lodge. 

    The VC  and members of his team later took the government official to the University Sickbay, where they were received by the Deputy Director, University Health Services (UHS), Dr Alex Otu. 

    Dr Otu conducted them round all sections of the sickbay, explaining in details the state of the dilapidated university medical facility. 

    Some of the sections inspected include the administrative block, theatre room, OPD, antenatal unit, family planning unit, emergency room, ultrasound room, and dental section. 

    Dr Alex Otu, who expressed excitement for the plan to rehabilitate the sickbay, said the medical facility needed to be given all the attention it deserved. 

    Otu also explained that outsiders kept on coming to the hospital because of the “good services we have continued to offer”.

    He described the dental section of the hospital as one of the busiest units because of high volume of dental patients which necessitated a strong collaboration with Ahmadu University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH). 

    Otu also said the NHIS unit of the facility was too small as the ABU sickbay had the highest number of clients in Nigeria. 

    Speaking after going round the lodge and the medical facility, Mr Ibrahim, expressed concern over the total dilapidation of the places visited. 

    Ibrahim also said a technical team would be deployed to the sites early in January, 2026 to further assess and take over the places for the rehabilitation works. 

    It would be recalled that Governor Lawal pledged his government’s willingness to intervene in rehabilitating some of the institution’s infrastructure facilities.

  • Christmas: PFN commends Governor Lawal over inclusive leadership 

    Christmas: PFN commends Governor Lawal over inclusive leadership 

    The Zamfara state chapter of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), under the leadership of Pastor Paul Ochepo, has commended Governor Dauda Lawal over his several interventions on issues concerning Christianity in the state, advocating for peaceful coexistence among residents regardless of tribe and religious backgrounds in the spirit of Christmas.

    This was made known via brief interview with the Daily Sun Correspondent at the Office of the PFN Chairman, Pastor Paul Ochepo, Ayan Buba Street in Gusau, the state capital.

    Christmas is a season of celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and the gift of love, salvation and peace he brought to the world.

    Christians should endeavour to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in the atmosphere of Holiness, peace, togetherness and the fear of God. In this season Christians at all levels should preach the goodnews of love and peace that Christ represents through their characters.

    The PFN Chairman urged Christians to be economical in spending their resources in view of the demands for the coming year.

    Read Also: Christmas Eve: Motorcyclist dies in Ondo lone crash as police warn against festive violence

    He advocated for peaceful coexistence amongst Muslims and Christians in Zamfara state, calling on them to remain vigilant while celebrating the season, mark anyone with questionable behaviour and ensure to share any intelligence with the nearest police station, as hoodlums may seek to use this period to target certain individuals in the community.

    Pastor Ochepo who is also the founder of Christ Intercession Amazing Grace Assembly, commended Governor Dauda Lawal and other senior Government officials for the several Christmas packages given to Christians in order to ease the labour of getting certain items on their own considering the current prices of commodities in the market.

    The Chairman appreciated the intervention of Governor Dauda Lawal in bringing lasting solutions to the land issues, the ground levy  issues and other conflicts between the church the and communities. 

    He called on the governor to remain focused as his good works of total transformation of Zamfara state is visible to all.

  • Governor Lawal hosts new theatre commander, promises more support to flush out bandits

    Governor Lawal hosts new theatre commander, promises more support to flush out bandits

    Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has promised the state government’s support for the success of the military operations to dislodge the bandits in the state and the region.

    Lawal said his administration had procured 30 Armour Personnel Carriers (APC) for the security agencies to prosecute the ongoing war against banditry in the State.

    The governor revealed this in Gusau on Tuesday when he received the new Theatre Commander, Joint Task Force Northwest Operation Fansan Yamma (OPFY), Maj.-Gen. Bello Idris, in Government House.

    Lawal, who described the commander as “Son of the Soil”, assured that his understanding of the Zamfara terrain would enhance the success of the fight against banditry.

    The governor reiterated his support for the military mission, even as he reaffirmed that his administration would not negotiate with any bandit group. 

    General Idris, who assumed duty as the OPFY in November, pledged during a maiden courtesy call on Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara in Gusau on Tuesday.

    He promised to invoke a new strategy to restore law and order in the banditry-ravaged areas of the state.

    Idris was redeployed from the Defence Department of Transformation and Innovation, following the recent posting of senior officers by the Nigerian Army Headquarters.

    The commander told Lawal that he was not in Zamfara merely to reduce banditry but to completely clear the area of the menace.

    Read Also: Nigerians to miss favourites channels on Dstv

    According to him, plans are underway to inject new operational concepts with a particular focus on efficiency and deeper community engagement.

    He noted that many of the bandits either live within local communities or maintain strong alliances with locals, assuring that such alliances would be dismantled head-on.

    The OPFY commander explained that his operational strategy would focus on Zamfara in the coming weeks as the military intensifies efforts to dismantle the bandits’ networks.

    He assured that arrangements were being made to deploy additional manpower, logistics and equipment to ensure the success of the new operation.

    The commander said that the command would equally adopt a mobile aggressive posture to revamp the operation for greater efficiency to flush out the bandits in the coming weeks.

    Idris is commanding joint operations covering the North West and parts of the North Central regions, including Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Sokoto and Zamfara.

    He said community collaboration would assist the command through intelligence sharing, information gathering and logistic enablers in their offensive to restore law and order in the area.

    He lauded Lawal for the improved road infrastructure and support for the troops under his command.

  • Timeline of Governor Dauda Lawal’s Efforts in Combating Banditry

    Timeline of Governor Dauda Lawal’s Efforts in Combating Banditry

    By Suleiman Bala Idris

    Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has been blazing the trail in terms of rescuing the Northwestern state from the fangs of underdevelopment, and dilapidating infrastructure, by protecting the lives and property of its citizens since his inauguration as the Chief Executive Officer of the state in the last one year.

    Having met the state as a hub of banditry, where gunmen kidnap helpless citizens for ransom, maiming, and killing them, as well as wanton destruction of sources of livelihood, Governor Dauda Lawal made it his article of faith to reverse that ugly trend, and restore hope to the citizens.

    Governor Dauda Lawal, just like he turned the state, particularly, the state capital into construction sites by rebuilding massive infrastructure, he also didn’t relent in engagement overtures to different stakeholders in the security sector to end the decade-old menace of banditry in the state.

    He made the issue of security a priority just like building road networks, rebuilding and equipping hospitals and schools, providing pipe-borne water, paying workers salaries, upsetting billions of naira arrears to exams bodies, among others. Below is the timeline of Governor Dauda Lawal’s engagements with key actors in the security and defence architecture in the last one year.

    Read Also: Task Govs to take responsibilities seriously, Tinubu tells Nigerians

    May 29, 2023
    Governor Dauda Lawal was sworn in as the Executive Governor of Zamfara State.
     
    June 1, 2023
    Governor Lawal received a security briefing from the Security Chiefs in the state, where possible ways to address the continuous aggression by the bandits in some remote areas.
     
    June 1, 2023
    The governor met with the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 10, Bello Sani Dalijan, and Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Bunu in his office, where they discussed the state’s security, among other key issues.
     
    June 12, 2023
    Governor Lawal met with the GOC 8 Division, General GM Mutkut, to discuss key issues concerning insecurity in the state.
     
    June 14, 2023
    He had a closed-door meeting with the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor, at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja.
     
    June 21, 2023
    The governor received Group Captain Sekegor in his office, where they discussed improving military surveillance/operations in the state.
     
    July 12, 2023
    Governor Lawal visited the new Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, where he briefed the new CDS on the security challenges ravaging the state.
     
    July 24, 2023
    Governor Lawal again met with security czars that including the National Security Adviser (NSA) Malam Nuhu Ribadu, CDS Chris Musa, and the Chief of Army Staff, Major General TaoreedLagbaja, in Abuja.
     
    August 14, 2023
    The governor also received the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, and high-ranking officers of the Nigerian army from the 8th Division who are on an operational visit to Zamfara state.
     
    August 17, 2023
    Governor Lawal, in the company of his Niger State counterpart, Mohammed Umar Bago, again visited NSA Ribadu in his office in Abuja, as part of efforts to improve synergy between the two states and the office of the Office of the NSA.
     
    August 18, 2023
    Dr Lawal held separate meetings with the Inspector General of Police Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun and the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security, and Civil Defence Corps Ahmed Abubakar Audi, in Abuja.
     
    October 12, 2023
    The governor received the Commander of the Nigerian Army Education Corps (NAEC), Major General Bello Alhaji Tsoho, in his office in Gusau.
     
    November 9, 2023
    Governor Lawal chaired a State Security Council meeting, where they discussed ways of resolving security challenges facing the state.
     
    November 30, 2023
    Governor Lawal visited the training camp of the Zamfara Community Protection Guards for an on-the-spot assessment.
     
    December 26, 2023
    The governor visited President Bola Tinubu at the State House Abuja, discussing new strategies for ending the bandits menace in the state.
     
    January 18, 2024
    The governor banned traditional rulers from issuing mining licenses as another strategy for de-escalating conflict in the state.
     
    January 28, 2024
    Governor Lawal attended a two-day roundtable on insecurity organised by the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) held at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja.
     
    January 31, 2024
    The governor officially launched the Zamfara State Community Protection Guards (CPG) as a new measure to tackle banditry in the state.
     
    February 7, 2024
    The governor inaugurated a 21-member Board of Trustees of Zamfara State Security Trust Fund to tackle insecurity.
     
    March 9, 2024
    The governor commissioned an integrated office complex for the state Board of Trustees of the Zamfara State Security Trust Fund.
     
    March 13, 2024
    Governor Lawal signed an Executive Order prohibiting the use of tinted glass, the illegal sale of petroleum, unlabeled as a major way of cutting supplies to bandits.
     
    March 26, 2024
    The governor visited the Chief of Defense Staff, General Chris Musa, at the Defence Headquarters Abuja, urging him to deploy more troops to the state.
     
    April 22, 2024
    Dr Lawal met with the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Mrs Amina Mohammed, where he said he would deploy high-level technology to combat banditry.
     
    May 2, 2024
    Governor Lawal hosted participants of Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC) 17/2024 from the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS), there they espoused using Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a tool for addressing insecurity in the state.