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Olabode Adaramola, Niger State
Gubernatorial candidate of the Advance Congress of Democracy (ACD) in the 2019 election, Barr. Bello Bawa Bwari, has said that government and governance in Niger state, was fragile due to Governor Abubarkar Sani Bello’s incompetence, lacking vision, knowledge and political will to pilot the state to the path of development.
Barr. Bawa stated this over the weekend during a public lecture organized by a group, “The Reformation Movement”, with the theme: “Challenges of Participatory Leadership and Good Governance in Niger state.
Bawa Bwari however expressed regrets that Nigerlites at the last governorship election in the state, did not vote for experienced, competent, visionary, knowledgeable and courageous leader who would not only exhibit justice but equity and fair play which according to him was very much lacking in the state, presently.
Five years of governor Abubakar Bello’s administration, he said instead caused retrogression, taken the state 12 years backward, and blamed the situation on what he termed, ‘undemocratic’ zoning that ended up glorifying incompetence’.
While calling on youths to fully participate in political activities and to show concern at the mortgaging of the state for another four years intensifies, the Legal Practitioner cum- politician, charged them to look for a visionary leader that would meet the needs and aspirations of Nigerlites.
“We came into politics with conventional norms of beating zoning and god fatherism in order to make a difference because leadership recruitment must be looked into at that level but you can see what we get, given 8 years to a brick layer in Niger state”, he remarks.
Also, in his remarks, the guest of honour at the event and former Presidential candidate in the 2019 general polls , Malam Ahmed Buhari commended the peaceful protests over the deplorable road conditions recently in Niger state and advised leaders and politicians to live up to their responsibilities.
Buhari who called for the expunging of age and gender disparity in Nigerian politics suggested that first consideration for elective positions should be a Nigerian citizen devoid of religious and regional sentiments.
Other speakers at the event, Dr. Ibrahim Abdullahi of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai and an author, Dr. Mohammed Dzukogi, called for adequate representation of youths and women in all spheres of life and for the adoption of Vision 3: 2020 document of former Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu for speedy development of the state.
Dzukogi, however decried that leaders who were expected to serve the electorates, the singular reason why they were voted into office have turned to themselves to ‘Masters’, hence the need to checkmate excesses of those in leadership position.
