The Adamawa State government has approved N77 billion for contractors and a financing scheme with Zenith Bank to facilitate timely execution of government projects.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Leader Leneke, who disclosed this to journalists, said the approvals were at the 14th state executive council meeting on Tuesday in Yola.

Mr Leneke said the financing scheme, presented by the Ministry of Finance, would run for one year and ensure that contractors handling government projects had access to funds needed for timely execution.

He said the initiative was also designed to prevent delays in project implementation and facilitate prompt payment to contractors.

According to him, the state government remains committed to meeting its financial obligations to contractors and will continue to ensure funds are available for projects.

“The government does not deliberately delay payment for completed or ongoing projects,” he said. 

The council also approved N99.269 million for the supply of instructional materials to secondary schools across the state.

Mr Leneke said the approval, presented by the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, aimed to improve the availability of teaching and learning materials in schools.

He said the council also approved N1.342 billion to purchase an existing residential building in Fufore to serve as the official residence of the Emir of Fufore chiefdom.

The commissioner said that the approval was part of the government’s efforts to provide suitable residences for traditional rulers across the state. He added that similar approvals had previously been made for other chiefdoms and emirates.

On security, Mr Leneke said the council expressed concern over recent security incidents and killings reported in some parts of the state, including the recent incident in Gombi Local Government Area.

He said the government was taking necessary measures to protect lives and property, urging residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons, movements and activities to security agencies.

Mr Leneke called for stronger collaboration between residents and security agencies, saying collective vigilance and timely information sharing were critical to preventing crime and safeguarding lives and property.

 (NAN)