"I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease...?" -Prophet Nehemiah

As Nigeria marks the 13th year of democracy in the country, in Niger State, Nigerlites have every cause to celebrate the auspicious day with the Chief Servant, Dr Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu, Governor of Niger State, who marks also the first year of his second tenure in office. His administration has engraved in the citizens' hearts indelible marks of successes in good governance, prudent management of resources and unprecedented infrastructure development strides that compels exceeding joy and celebration.

The Power State surely is soaring ahead and higher towards the actualisation of the transformation agenda of the administration led by the indefatigable Chief Servant, Dr Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu, and Governor of the state. As the pilot of the project Niger State, the governor, armed with experience and expertise is very conscious and resolved about the safety route and destination of the state.

He has a sworn commitment to make Niger State one of the three most developed states in the country by the year 2020 - Vision 3:2020. Ever since he placed his hands on the plough there is no looking back for him because the work cannot cease.

Prophet Nehemiah, in the scriptures, had a challenge when he was assigned by God to rebuild the walls of the ancient Jerusalem. There were so many efforts of distractions aimed to stop him on the track to fulfil the divine mandate, and he refused to be bulged as he was doggedly determined to deliver on divine assignment. "The work must not cease or suffer, left alone to be abandoned", he declared.

The Chief Servant likewise, has remained focused and committed to good governance, exemplified in servant leadership, prudent management of resources towards attainment of the lofty dreams of Vision 3: 2020. The results and the fruits have been diverse and bountiful in coming.

A cursory check on the achievements will leave no one in doubt that the Chief Servant is doing a great work and needed to be saved from undeserving diversion and distractions; such as sporadically embarked upon by those opposed to his monumental strides and meteoric rising profile and fame.

The determination to succeed is inherent in the Chief Servant; from onset, in his first tenure inaugural speech, he succinctly revealed that he abhors failure like a plague. "I am afraid of failure because ...I want to succeed".

He has a mindset that, being a governor means love and service to the people of the state. He also underscored leadership to mean humility and ability to integrate each and every segment of the society by ensuring that harmony exists and promoting productivity that satisfies the majority of the populace.

He has for umpteenth times declared education, agriculture, health, infrastructural development, human capital development and employment generation as the fulcrum driving his zest to succeed in his vision and mission for the state.

The governor desires and is determined towards food security in the state through massive production of especially, staple foods, livestock and fish, sufficient even to feed the nation. He has relentlessly spearheaded summits in agriculture - no wonder his inevitable inclusion as a member of the national Agriculture Transformation Council, recently inaugurated by President Goodluck Jonathan.

From 2007 to date, Niger State has not failed to meet the conditions for accessing funds from MDGs, and so far, authorities revealed that over N4.8 billion has been accessed which has prudently been invested in healthcare, education, water and sanitation, women and youth empowerment, social welfare, and poverty reduction.

The state government's novel and noble programme, Ward Development Project (WDP), which has continued to garner accolade from far and near, for fast tracking grassroots development has remained a priority programme.

The programme has contributed in no small way in the state's efforts to banish poverty, which made the state to occupy the lower ladder of poverty endemic states in the country. Recently, the government constituted new management committees to midwife and invigorate the programme, and over N2.8 billion has been set aside for on-going and new WDP projects execution.

The Chief Servant went for and secured a N30billion bond from the capital market which is to be accessed in trenches to be used for infrastructural development. Out of the quantum, N9billion has been released to government which has enabled the execution of various roads projects in the state.

These include Birgi-Lapai-Gwari road, Minna-Bida-Gidan-Kwano, Shiroro bridge, Eastern By-pass-Makunkele, Kwakuti-Kafinkoro-Gwada and Eid-Burial-Ground Bahago road.