Former Minister of Petroleum, Prof. Jibril Aminu, has expressed concern over state governors unlimited access to spending of public funds. Aminu made the statement on Saturday in Yola in his speech at the 3rd edition of Adamawa Community Dialogue, organised by an NGO, Adamawa Community Advancement Initiative (ACAI).

He said that a situation where a governor could collect and spend state resources at will without recourse to due process needed to be check if the country must progress. He decried the situation in the country where governors handle state and local government resources like their personal property.

Aminu noted that he had had cause in the past to comment on the excesses of governors, who he said, hijacked council funds and even attempted to control the federal government through the governors’ forum.

The former senator and PDP chieftain lauded ACAI for its effort to promote unity and good governance in Adamawa. He urged the organisation not to relent in its efforts to ensure that the state and nation’s resources were judiciously utilised for the benefit of the people.

He condemned politics of sentiments, saying that those promoting such sentiments use it as screen to cover up their failure.

“Ethnicity, religion and other pettiness are all symptoms of non performance; people who fail use ethnicity and religion as something to hang on.”

Aminu urged Nigerians not to be discouraged by the current challenges facing the nation but remain resolute and determined to reject negative thinking and work towards nation building. “We are rich, our people are intelligent and we have all the potentials.” (NAN)

•Photo shows Prof Aminu.

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