National Wire About Nigerians, Nigerian Business and Other Stories
Olabode Adaramola
As the controversy rages on over the perceived $181 million Islamic Development Bank’s (IDB) loan between former Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu and his successor in office, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, of Niger state, a group of youths under the aegis of ‘some concerned Nigerlites’ have asked the incumbent governor Abubarkar Sani Bello to make good his promise, by ensuring transparency and accountability in all government businesses.
The group also wants Governor Bello and his predecessor to end the political hostilities between them and name calling in the overall interest of the citizens of the state, as such hostilities and dirty politicking portrays bad examples and account of themselves before youths in Niger state.
The “Concerned Nigerlites” in a Press statement signed by the Chairman and Secretary, Messrs Abdullahi Suleiman and Ndama Eli respectively wondered why the noise about who applied and got approvals for the IDB loan, saying, “what should be of importance is that the money was judiciously utilized”.
It could be recalled that former Governor Babangida Aliyu made public his fears about the money, stressing that Governor Bello should have as a man of integrity he wanted the people to believe, by simply asked the ministry of finance to release financial details of the state at least to prove his predecessor wrong.
They want Governor Bello to always seek for elders counsels on some sensitive state’s matters that could threaten peace and unity amongst citizens and to apologize to Nigerlites for ridiculing the state before the whole world because of his alleged failure to provide answers on how monies accruable to the state, including all loans in the past four years was
utilized.
The group stated further that in as much as it wanted to remain neutral or resisted being judgmental, said Nigerlites will not be asking for too much by demanding that both former governor Aliyu and incumbent governor Bello to put aside their political differences and join hands in moving Niger state forward to enviable heights.
“We the concerned Nigerlites are not happy about all these banters. Former governor Aliyu publicly said he got the $181 million to dualise
Minna-Bida but the money could not be accessed until now, we expected governor Bello to simply confirm if it is true or not, we don’t want to rely on rumours.
“It is natural to be interested hearing such amount and because we do not want to dwell on runours. We are not probing anybody, who applied for or who got the approvals is immaterial to us, we are only interested in knowing everything about $181 million”, said the group.
It, however, added that, if it turned out that the former governor was lying, that the youths in the state will go after him.
The statement further expressed regrets at the infrastructural decay, especially intra-and inter-state roads which gave rise to protests and perceived discordant voices against the present administration, arguing that it was only natural for one to demand dividends of democracy, including provision of good roads.
“It is possible that the governor is being overwhelmed by the demands of his office and that is why he has not been able to address Nigerlites, insisting that, nothing short of addressing citizens on this subject matter will assuage the peoples’ curiosity.
“Governor Bello himself once said his administration will be transparent and will have zero tolerance for corruption, we want him to be practical, live by example. We are not interested on the ongoing attacks or blame games”, the group insist.
It added that what the former governor Babangida Aliyu said about how his administration sought and got approval for the Islamic Development Bank’s (IDB) loan for dualization of Minna-Bida road has caught the attention of all well meaning Nigerlites and that is why everybody was interested to hear more where the money was being kept now.
The group said it could not verify from former senator, representing Kaduna Central senatorial district, Senator Shehu Sani who served as the Committee Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign loans when the IDB loan was applied for and approval obtained because of the belief/trust that governor Bello will live by his words to be transparent.
It also recalled popular weekly documentaries by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), “From the Government House”, anchored by the present Chief Press Secretary, to the Governor, Mrs. Mary Noel-Berje, showcasing issues about the loan and wondered why the unnecessary delay in making public, everything Nigerlites needed to know about the loan.
They therefore asked Governor Bello to end the war of words capable of allegedly breeding tension and degenerating into chaos, and charged him to prove his detractors wrong by not only giving an insight into the said $181 million IDB interest free loan, but other monies acruable to the state in the past four years or thereabout , including how and on what projects/contracts was expended on.
