Re: Niger State: Waiting for a Leader

Muhammed  Al-Ghazali,  who wrote  on the above subject matter published by Daily Trust on Tuesday, February 16, 2016 ,  ‘need not to worry about this reply. It is not targeted at him’. Like he stated in his piece, we write ‘as a friend and not a foe’.  It is believed that constructive criticism is the […]

Muhammed  Al-Ghazali,  who wrote  on the above subject matter published by Daily Trust on Tuesday, February 16, 2016 ,  ‘need not to worry about this reply. It is not targeted at him’. Like he stated in his piece, we write ‘as a friend and not a foe’. 
It is believed that constructive criticism is the hallmark of any democracy and citizens have right to raise issues that concern them. It is however; the duty of elected or appointed officers to explain. It is on this premise, that we find the piece as an opportunity to explain to readers of this column some misconceptions about Governor Abubakar Sani Bello.   
Even though, the author carried out an obligation, he is entitled to as a patriotic Nigerlite, his summation that the “Power State” is in search for a leader was not only grossly incorrect, misleading, unwarranted but inappropriate.
Governor Abubakar Sani Bello (Abu Lolo) won election based on the power of original and authentic ideas, which he has in the last nine months, been audaciously working to achieve. But unlike many others, he is doing this, based on his style of being a ‘doer’ and not a ‘talker.’ Indeed, unlike many others, he has nothing to prove, but work for millions of Nigerlites who willingly gave him their votes. He  is not known to be a ‘show master’, but a long distant runner, who started this journey of providing purposeful leadership for Niger state, when many people assumed he was  a joke.’  Governor Abubakar Sani Bello is not seeking to be a poster boy of APC, rather he is working to be the darling of Nigerlites based on how well he touched lives of people.
His emergence as the 5th Executive Governor of Niger State was not by accident, it was a deliberate and conscious project that spanned over years of serious planning.
It was indeed a process. His success story in the private sector and a stint in public sector as a Commissioner prepared this Apostle of proper planning, stickler of details and manager of men for the task ahead as the Chief Executive Officer of the state.
Conscious of the havoc wrecked on the socio- economy of our dear state by the immediate past Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the youthful and amiable Abubakar Sani Bello came up with a “Restoration Agenda” for the state. He was committed to restoring the glorious past of the state and re-positioning it as one of the leading federating units of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
This visionary leader predicated his cardinal priority programmes on Education, Health, Agriculture, Youth and Women Empowerment, Peace and Security, Value Re-orientation and aggressive Infrastructural and Industrial Development.  These sectors are religiously and tenaciously been attended to in the last 9 months he assumed leadership of the Power State.
Al-Ghazali wrongly painted a picture of a stagnated state. He tacitly blamed the “lack of appreciable motion in Niger State” on the 9 month old administration of Abubakar Sani Bello. He failed to accept that it will take a miracle for the damages and decades by successive administrations, especially with the impunity and recklessness that characterized the last administration, to be remedied and put the state back on course.
For the records, on assumption, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello hit the ground running. Realizing the vital role of the civil service, the governor accorded respect to the state work force by ensuring the rationalization of the state civil service. For effective running of the state, he reduced ministries from 23 to 14 and permanent secretaries from 54 to 25. He has kept faith with the monthly payment of civil servants. He also en-paneled the high powered Mohammed Sani Turaki Committee on Rehabilitation of Abattoir in major cities and towns in the state, in fulfillment of his Restoration Agenda for the healthy living of Nigerlites. He commenced and completed various water projects across the three geo-political zones.
The projects include, the construction of four industrial boreholes at GSS Bosso to feed the one million liters overhead tank for Bosso Low-cost Housing Estate and environs; maintenance of Suleja, Kontagora and New Bussa Water works and sinking of several hand-pump boreholes in Paikoro, Suleja and Chanchaga Local Government areas of the state.
Despite the lean purse of the state, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello prudence was brought to bear; he initiated and completed the rehabilitation of Sabon-Gari-UK Bello Road in Minna and Tegina township road while the rehabilitation of Lapai-Gulu-Muye Road embarked upon by this administration is 98 percent completed.
In an attempt to salvage the state from the dwindling monthly handouts from Abuja; attract formal investments; generate employment and improve the internally generated revenue (IGR), Governor Abubakar Sani Bello embarked on aggressive local and international drives for investors.  A move misconstrued by the likes of Al-Ghazali, who described the governor’s action as absenteeism. It may interest Nigerlites to know that these foreign trips have started to yield positive results. 
One of such trips has attracted a N200 billion investment in Rice farming, processing and packaging by a foremost Indian firm in Swashi area of Borgu Emirate Council area of the state. Over 7,500 hectares of land is earmarked for the project.
Aside from boosting the state’s IGR, 20,000 youth are directly to be gainfully engaged and over 60,000 other indirect jobs created by this investment alone. Two Rice Mills are also to be built in New Bussa and Bida by the investor in compliance with the desire of Governor Abubakar Sani Bello to ensure value chain addition in order to further empower Nigerlites.
It may interest Al-Ghazali that on the day of his publication (16th Feb, 2016), a team of investors began Irrigation Farm’s feasibility study in Lapai Local Government area of the state with the intention to embark on large scale mechanized farming.
In the past, projects of previous administration were jettisoned by the incoming one. This explained why the massive water projects by Engineer Abdulkadir Kure’s administration, accessed to have attained over 70 percent completion were abandoned by his successor.  Instead of discarding Dr. Mua’zu Babangida Aliyu projects, Governor Bello continued and is committed to completing some of the inherited viable people’s oriented projects after thorough evaluation. A leadership trait that is uncommon in the country today. The Old Airport-New Market Road in Minna and the Ndayako-Dokodza- GRA-Club Road in Bida fell under such projects.
His commitments to education remain unparalleled in the history of our dear 40 year old state. Two Secondary Schools in each of the three geo-political districts are to be upgraded to United Nation Education Scientific Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) standard.
Clearly, Niger state is not in search of a leader. Niger state has  a Leader, personified in Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, who is determined, unwavering, resolute, focused, motivated,  committed  to providing access to available and affordable social amenities.
Baba Ndace is the Chief Press Secretary to the Niger State Governor