The Niger State governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, has berated former Dr Muazu Babangida Aliyu administration for the embezzlement of N6 billion bond and N6 billion ward development project funds.

Governor Bello who expressed his worry over how his successor and his aides successfully siphoned public funds illegally at a stakeholders town meeting yesterday at Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi, International Conference Centre, Minna, assured that the investigation ongoing will reveal them accordingly.

“They show no love, no patriotism, no concern at all, no one to be trusted, then how do you expect development, I don’t know who to trust now,” he lamented.

The governor intimated that former governor Aliyu received between 5 billion naira and 11 billion naira monthly when a barrel of oil sold for about N140 compared to the present situation that was created by the PDP-led government.

He said that Ex-Gov. Aliyu had shamelessly siphoned public funds to the detriment of the people of the state.

Bello further said that Niger state has degenerated so low that Bornu, Maiduguri that suffered from crisis (war zone) have better roads and facilities than Niger claimed to be one of the most peaceful in Nigeria which he blamed on bad leadership of the PDP government in the state.

He also attributed the problems of corruption to lack of local governments autonomy in the state and country, added that as from May this year the local government autonomy will be operational to manage their resources in the state so as to provide dividend of democracy to the electorates at the grassroots levels.

“I am not interested in the local governments funds, let them clean up their community by fishing out ghost workers they are harbouring. I am interested in improving the welfare and development of the people, by May the 25 LGAs in Niger state would get their full autonomy, you can employ more or reduce your staff status,” he said.

Bello emphasised that a situation whereby the state will continue to borrow before it could pay civil servants salary is not acceptable despite the present dwindling allocations to the state just as the state borrowed N400 million to argument payment of March salary noting that the situation is getting worse.

The governor called for collective responsibility if the state must develop devoid of party differences and advocated for capacity building for the local government workers as well improved revenue base to compliment dwindling federation allocations.

He also disclosed that his government would used the present situation as an opportunity to revamp the state for better, while the old pension scheme cannot be sustained by putting in place better ways of new Contributory Pension Scheme management.

•Text courtesy of Peoples Daily. Photo shows former Niger State Governor, Muazu Babangida Aliyu.

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