Posted by By CHIDI OBINECHE on
Niger State Governor, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu, has given an insight into the frosty relationship with his predecessor in office, Engr. Abdulkadir Kure.
Niger State Governor, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu, has given an insight into the frosty relationship with his predecessor in office, Engr. Abdulkadir Kure.
Dismissing insinuations that his government has been on a wild witchhunt of Kure, he blamed the misunderstanding on the sharp cleavage in their vision and style of governance.
The governor recently set up a judicial commission of enquiry to probe the eight years regime of Kure.
Justifying the probe before journalists in Lagos on Monday, the governor, who prefers to be called Chief Servant, declared that of the alleged N23 billion debt owed to contractors and other sundry people by the Kure administration, a committee he set up affirmed N8 billion and recommended that an addition N1.2 billion could be recovered.
The governor expressed disgust that some claimants said that contracts were given to them by words of mouth, adding that his resort to a commission of enquiry was to compel people to come forward to testify.
While he disclosed that the government had the option of sending the report to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) for action, he regretted that nothing in the activities of the crime busting outfit in the state, in the past, suggested it would see the light of the day.
He said: 'If you send it to EFCC, it has been in Niger State for four years without results. We therefore opted for the judicial commission of inquiry."
Aliyu said that the circumstances of his emergence as governor was divine, which makes him all the more determined to change the fortunes of the state for better.
'The circumstances of my emergence was divine. I was permanent secretary in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT). Allah, in His wisdom, picked me out. I was praying to be the head of service. You can see that my God wanted some changes in my state and raised me," he declared.
He further condemned the concept of godfatherism which has dominated the democratic space in recent times, and which, according to him, has set the pace of development in the nation backward.
On his relationship with former military heads of state, General Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalam Abubakar, who are from his state, Aliyu described it as cordial, blaming the initial perceived coldness among them on the handiwork of people 'who could not appreciate the fact that there are people who see things differently."
He, however, insisted that 'nobody has been able to influence me."
He spoke on the controversies plaguing the national convention and congresses of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) and called for the enthronement of internal democracy in the party.
He said: 'Democracy should start from the family. The party that presents people for elections should also have internal democracy. There should be no imposition, which has been our bane in the past."
Aliyu called for a cautious amendment of section 208 of the Constitution, which grants immunity to the president, vice president, governors and their deputies.
'Don't remove it in totality. Prioritize the areas that should be removed and categorize those that should be immuned or not, otherwise, governors will be going to court everyday and lawyers will siphon the resources of the state."
The governor reviewed his eight months administration and declared that his mission is to make the state the third most developed in Nigeria by the year 2010.
In pursuit of this goal, he has placed education, agriculture and healthcare delivery on the priority scale.
Regretting that poverty in the North is about 70 percent, he envisioned an emergency situation to 'galvanise the energies of our people not to be dependent on other people. Islam does not encourage begging. We have removed all beggars in the streets of Minna, and it will be extended to other cities."
He further disclosed that government has taken over the payment of fees for students sitting for the West African School Certificate (WAEC) and National Examination Certification (NECO) examination and has also put in place a free and compulsory education for the girl-child up to university level.
On the nation's financial reserve in foreign banks, estimated to be N54 billion, he suggested that part of it should be brought back and be invested in the energy sector, 'otherwise you may be saving for an ignorant generation that may not utilize it properly."