Mr. Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa took the oath of office as governor of Kaduna State yesterday, with a pledge to serve as an impartial leader for people from all ethnic backgrounds and religious affiliations in the state. “Please note that I am not a Christian Governor,” Yakowa said shortly after being sworn in to replace Alhaji Namadi Sambo, who assumed office as Vice-President on Wednesday.
Yakowa became the first Christian civilian governor of the state and also the first person to occupy the post from the minority, mainly Christian Southern Kaduna. There were reports of tension in the state since last week because some people were not comfortable with a Christian becoming governor of the state.
But speaking at the Hassan Usman Katsina House in Kaduna yesterday, Yakowa said: “I am governor for all, irrespective of religious or tribal affiliation. None of us has any reason to be afraid or to feel threatened. God gave us our great religions of Islam and Christianity so as to build a world of love.”
Yakowa, 62, was deputy governor of the state since 2005.
The oath of office and oath of allegiance were administered to him by state Chief Judge Rahila Cudjoe at about 2.48pm yesterday.
The governor said the fact that Nigeria has both Christians and Muslim should be considered a blessing and not seen as a threat.
“We must overcome fear,” he said “We must use the blocks of differences among us, whether they are those artificially erected by tribe, gender or faith, to build bridges of hope not walls of hatred. I implore you all to take my hand, take the hands of one another and together, we shall show the rest that Kaduna is really the heart of Nigeria,” he added.
Kaduna State has witnessed violent ethno-religious crisis in the past, though the state has been calm for many years now as a result of measures taken by previous administrations.
Yakowa, while affirming his commitment to zero tolerance to violence, said, “My administration shall remain relentless in our struggle towards sustaining peace, equity and justice. We shall be committed to ensuring that no citizen of this state feels threatened or discriminated against on grounds of his or her status in life, gender, class or any disability. Your security will remain our investment.”
The governor, who said peace and justice were the primary goals of his administration, pledged to use his experience to sustain the foundation his predecessor laid in the maintenance of peace in the state.
He pledged to continue with the 11-point agenda of his predecessor, saying there would be no break in the implementation process. “We shall pursue with vigour those areas that we can deliver on in the period of time that God has given to us. I want to assure the people of Kaduna State of my unflinching commitment to implementing these agenda which has served as the basis of the social contract between us and our good people, so as to reduce poverty and enthrone speedy socio-economic development of the state.”
He also urged the people of the state to continue to pray for the state and the country for accelerated development. He commended President Goodluck Jonathan for selecting his former boss as the Vice President.
The swearing in ceremony was attended by many prominent people, including former governor Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, former finance minister Esther Usman, top traditional rulers, deputy governors of Nassarawa and Plateau states, Senator Isaiah Balat and Alhaji Samaila Yakawada.
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