British High Commissioner  Calls Kebbi  ‘Secure State’ In ‘Insecure Region’

British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing , has described  Kebbi state as a secure state in an insecure region.

Governor Atiku Abubakar Bagudu’s Special Adviser on Media, Mr Yahaya Sarki noted in a statement made available to Team@orientactualmags.com that  Laing  said this when she visited the governor  at  the Government House, Birnin Kebbi on Wednesday.

The state according her has a lot of opportunity and a promising future.

She said  Bagudu had been very committed to inclusiveness and had also ensured  a wider reach to all the communities.

‘ Kebbi is therefore a state that other states should emulate in this direction’ she said.

Laing added that the governor had bolstered the various agricultural value chains, while myriad of opportunities now abound in the state.

She noted that her visit to Kebbi state was to find more ways to strengthen relationship between the state and  the United Kingdom.

Laing  recalled that her deputy had in 2019 visited Kebbi state , adding, ‘this visit today is  a follow up to the previous one’.

Commenting on the demise of  Queen Elizabeth II, Laing said it  had really been  a very difficult time for UK and the commonwealth community.

The deceased , who reigned for over 70 years,  according to her  lived an amazing life.

‘Her life was a shining one and gratifying as one. She had fond memories of her visit to Nigeria in 1957 and 2003.

We mourn her loss and we are celebrating her life’ Laing added.

The High Commissioner also said the new King holds Nigeria in high esteem and had also visited the country in 1990, 1999, 2006 and 2018.

She also recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had  on several occasions  visited UK , adding that, several bonds exist between UK and Nigeria.

Responding, Bagudu  condoled the UK through the Envoy on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum , also felicitated the new King on his ascension to the exalted throne.

 The governor recalled how he happily received the Deputy High Commissioner in 2019 noting  that the visit was fruitful.

Bagudu  described Kebbi as an expansive state with a lot of socioeconomic activities and tremendous opportunities.

The governor noted that the state shares international borders with Niger and Benin republics , with a lot of socioeconomic activities.

Bagudu also said the state had recorded a lot of achievements in the last seven years on his watch.

He said  several policies and programmes of the state and federal governments, including the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme launched in the state by Buhari in 2015 on rice production has been successfully.

Bagudu also disclosed that his administration had attracted a lot of local and foreign investments describing  Wacot rice mill in Argungu as notable among them,

He added that subsequently, several small, medium and large scale rice mills  had sprung up  in the state.

Catriona Laing was accompanied  by Aneesah Islam , Head, Political Section , Elizabeth Drew,

Head of Governance and Stability ,Ivie Ameh , the Visits Officer and Tope Aroso, the Security Liaison Officer.

Laing later attended  a media parley and was also at the Kanta Museum, Argungu to inspect ancient relics of the Kabawa people, before proceeding to WACOT Rice Mill.

 She also stopped off at a Ruga Fulani settlement during which she expressed satisfaction with the education progress of Nomadic children- Team@orientactualmags.com
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