Katsina State’s governor-elect promises to run transparent government

Katsina State’s governor-elect, Dr Dikko Radda has assured the people of the state that he will run a transparent, fair and open-door government.

The governor-elect also assured the people of Katsina State that he would block all leakages and waste of the state’s commonwealth.

Radda gave the assurances at a dinner held in his honour on Sunday in Abuja by Mr Olawale Fasanya Director-General of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).

The dinner was also in honour of Alhaji Abdullahi Ahmed, lawmaker-elect for Musawa/Matazu federal constituency.

“I will do everything possible to make the lives of the people of Katsina State better and I want to operate an open and transparent government.

“I will block all leakages that may arise from some of the abnormalities that are happening in the state,” Radda said.

The incoming governor solicited the support of the Federal Government, development partners, other stakeholders and the people of Katsina State to ensure that his administration succeeds.

“I want you to join hands with me to develop the people and to manage the resources of the state.

“We cannot succeed without the support of development partners and we won’t succeed without the support of the Federal Government and we will be very friendly towards them,” he said.

Radda, who described his victory at the March 18 poll as a difficult task prayed that God would guide him to steer the affairs of the state successfully.

“Initially, I thought I could do it easily but as the time gets closer I start to develop fear, but I ask God Almighty to guide us.

“I prayed to God that if I won’t deliver, may He give it to the person that can deliver and God gave it to me, so it is a challenge,” Radda said.

Radda of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won the governorship election in Katsina State with 859,892 votes.

He defeated his closest rival, Sen. Yakubu Lado-Danmarke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 486,620 votes by 373,272 votes.

Earlier, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investments, Amb. Mariam Katagum, commended Radda for promoting the development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) during his tenure as its director-general.

She said Radda showed outstanding performance when he worked with her to review Federal Government’s MSME policy and urged him to transform Katsina State into an industrial hub.

In her remarks, Director, Agric-Business Development Department of SMEDAN, Hajiya Safiya Balla, described Radda as a leader par excellence who displayed professionalism in the discharge of his duties.

“Radda is a very humble and honest person with great tolerance for people.

“He could be tired but be smiling and be attending to people. He doesn’t wear his powers on his shoulders and he is a very understanding and open-minded person,” she said.