GOVERNOR BELLO IS GOVERNOR OF NIGER,NOT JUST OF APC

Governor Bello is Governor of Niger, not just of APC!

By Abdullberqy U Ebbo

The story of so-called frosty relationship between the Niger State Governor Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello and the 25 Local Game Government Party Chairmen of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) recently promoted in a national daily belongs in the usual artifice of the detractors of an administration that has done so well as to earn regards even of opposition politicians. It is one horribly cooked and crooked stuff taken straight from the pit of hell!

It is primary to state quick that there was never a meeting between the Governor and APC Council Leadership in Niger in which such a strange and absurdly illogical subject was discussed; neither was any meeting of such nature being planned. Mr Governor, who currently faces serious financial challenges, like most other state Governors, and has been prioritising projects to serve the people across the 25 local government areas, would never have consented to buying cars for party chairmen! Impossible.

It is true, projects are going on, but these are never individual or partisan projects, but collective ones, like roads, water, schools, fire service stations and primary health care centres, which all touch at the core of socioeconomic development and welfare of entire citizenry. Despite paucity of fund, there is no council in which one project or the other is not ongoing today. Just recently pensioners are beginning to smile back home.

The Governor is not doing politics with the lives of the people. In Niger state, governance is serious, real, verifiable business.

For the Governor to embark on buying brand new Toyota Camry car, 2013 model as official cars for individual APC chairmen would be too insensitive and crassly misrepresentative of the priorities a responsible administration should set for itself. Governor Bello belongs as much to APC people as he belongs to other individuals, irrespective of party or religion.

In Niger, projects are ongoing and, to borrow the Governor’s own words, “I will embark on projects that have direct relevance to the lives of the people.” The detractors and poisonous opposition politicians know these are not projects thought up and imposed on the people.

They are projects chosen by the people during his last tour, to be executed with the people themselves, and to serve needs of the people. It is therefore not out of place for this sect of destroyers to seek to malign an administration that have set the people as basic focus of its programmes and polices, and the very centre of its operations.     

But it is proper to worry about the source of a non-existent story which made its way into a national daily! When a reporter is less than what he should be and has not received lessons regarding how to verify authenticities of sensitive stories.

it is always easy to get hired to prosecute assignments calculated to bring reputations into disrepute, and abbreviate integrities. But the Governor has triumphed beyond plastic achievements. Today, accolades pour in on him as much from the party (APC) as from the opposition.

Before going to press, should this reporter not have sought to balance his story by calling the other side? Should the reporter have also neglected speaking with some of the APC Chairmen to express their views and possibly clarify intrinsic points?

The story in question carried neither the balancing from the Governor’s side, nor the voice of any of aggrieved APC chairmen as the reporter wants people to believe who have unilaterally rejected the largesse of cars. The lie was told without any protection.

While no effort would be wasted in unravelling misdirected and misguided masterminds of the story – destruction is their business and they must remain busy - the people of the state is assured that the Governor would not concede and has never conceded attention to any project meant for individuals, and only individuals. Never. Niger state resources must serve the people of Niger state.

Another point here is that APC in Niger is rancour free and relationship between Governor Bello and the party is nothing but cordial. The Governor is not planning to buy any Toyota Camry car for any APC chieftain or party chairmen. Efforts are always being made to pay salaries and allowances and meet other obligations of government, as much as possible.

Water currently receives the utmost priority, which primary health care centres across entire 25 councils would soon be completed and delivered projects. Niger state is on path to sustainable development. Detractors would have to be busy.