By Samson Obande,  Lafia

Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has directed the immediate payment of N371 million to contractors handling the Police Secondary School, Gudi, to fast-track its completion ahead of the September deadline for commissioning and commencement of academic activities.

Governor Sule gave the directive on Friday during an on-the-spot inspection of the facility to assess its level of readiness for take-off.

Speaking with journalists shortly after the inspection, the Governor said most of the structures required for take-off were ready, adding that the administrative block had been completed and could immediately accommodate staff, while residential quarters for staff were between 80 and 90 per cent completed.

“So far, most of the buildings for the take-off of the secondary school seem to be ready. The admin building is ready, so at least we can have all the administrative staff coming in. Some of the residences, the accommodation for the staff, seem to be almost 80 to 90 percent done. That is a good sign,” he said.

On landscaping, Governor Sule expressed confidence that it could be concluded within two weeks if given proper attention, but noted that some other aspects of the remaining construction would extend beyond September.

“The landscaping is not a big problem. If we are serious about it, in two weeks we can actually take care of it. But most of the work, definitely, will have to be done after this month of September,” he stated.

He explained that the inspection was aimed at ascertaining the true state of the project and determining what the government needed to do to ensure timely completion.

On student admission, Governor Sule said details were yet to be finalized, disclosing that he had summoned an emergency meeting for Monday, which police training officials would attend to provide a full breakdown.

“I don’t have the details here. That is why I have asked for an emergency meeting on Monday, where the police training officials will join us so they can give us the breakdown,” he said.

The Governor stressed that his priority was to ensure that the school primarily benefits indigenes of Nasarawa State.

“For me, the whole essence is how Nasarawa State students and the good people of Nasarawa State benefit. We must ensure that those we are admitting are candidates and indigenes of Nasarawa State who are going to benefit from it. That is the reason I am having that meeting, to ensure that it is meant for the people of Nasarawa State and that the people of Nasarawa State benefit,” he added.

Governor Sule also inspected ongoing construction work at the Public Relations University, Gudi.

He was accompanied on the inspection by top government officials, including the Commissioners for Education and Works, Dr. John Mamman and Hon. Kwanta Yakubu, respectively, and the Executive Secretary of the Nasarawa State Education Trust Fund (NASETFUND), Dr. Abubakar Idris Adamu, among others.