A Group known as Concerned Nigerlites (CN) has called on Niger State government to explain the controversy surrounding the $181 million Islamic Development Bank (IDB) loan it applied for.
A statement by the Chairman and Secretary of CN, Mr. Abdullahi Suleiman and Mr. Ndama Eli, urged Governor Abubakar Bello to ensure transparency and accountability in all government businesses in the state.
The group also urged Governor Bello and his predecessor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu to end the ongoing political hostilities and name calling in the interest of the state.The group decried the accusations and counter-accusations about who applied and got approval for the IDB loan by Governor Bello and Dr. Aliyu, saying what should be of importance was how the fund was utilised.
It said that Aliyu had the right to make public his fears about the money, saying it was left for Bello to prove his predecessor wrong by directing the Ministry of Finance to make public financial details of the state.
“Hostilities and dirty politicking portray bad example before the youth in the state,” the group said.
The group urged the governor to provide answers on how funds accruable to the state, including loans in the past four years were utilised.
It, however, decried infrastructural decay in the state, especially intra-and inter-state roads which resulted in recent protests by youths against the current administration.
The group called for urgent and permanent intervention to fix both federal and state roads in Niger as the rot in infrastructure was hindering the socio-economic development of the state.
At a rally by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Aliyu had challenged Governor Bello to explain why the Minna-Bida road was in a deplorable state in spite of the islamic bank loan taken to fix it.