The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Aliyu

  • Aliyu to tackle infrastructure

    Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu has assured the people of the state that his administration would focus on infrastructural development and complete ongoing projects in the New Year.

    The governor promised to ensure that projects that have been appropriated in the 2013 budget are implemented.

    Aliyu spoke in Minna, the state capital, on these and other issues in his New Year goodwill television broadcast to the state.

    He said: “In 2013, we shall ensure that by the grace of God, the majority of the people of Niger State continue to remain the target beneficiaries of all our policies and programmes.”

    Aliyu restated his administration’s determination to entrench fiscal discipline and responsibility in governance this year.

    The governor noted that wastages and leakages in government expenditure and revenue collection would be blocked to ensure sound economic management.

    He called for support and cooperation for his administration.

    Aliyu also urged the residents to shun indolence, promising that his administration would be sensitive to the imperatives of social security for the people.

    Highlighting some of the positive changes in the socio-economic and political life of the people in the last five years, the governor reiterated his commitment to consolidating on the achievements of his administration.

    He recalled that 2012 was extraordinarily tough for Nigeria, particularly on the security challenges.

    Aliyu called for prayers for the repose of the souls of those who died last year because of security challenges.

  • I’m not patient to deliver, says Aliyu

    Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu has told top civil servants, elected and appointed officers, that he will not be patient to deliver and conclude the projects he started since he assumed office.

    The governor spoke in Minna, the state capital, when he addressed political office holders, permanent secretaries and heads of agencies following discoveries that the books of 16 corporations and agencies had not been audited for almost a decade.

    He said: “I’m not patient now. I have only two years to conclude all the things we started. All commissioners, permanent secretaries and heads of agencies should be ready to work and ensure delivery.”

    Aliyu hinted of a possible reshuffle in his State Executive council in the New Year.

    He said: “In 2013, reinvigoration of government will be total and all of you must sit up because we have only two years in office and we must deliver all that we started.”

    The governor urged his commissioners to comply and forward to his office the projects executed by his administration since 2007.

    Aliyu noted that the inventory should include financial implications of such projects, state of the projects and how much has been spent on them.

    He said the directive for the auditing of executed and ongoing projects followed the refusal of some heads of agencies to submit their books for statutory annual auditing for almost 10 years.

    According to him, heads of the affected agencies have claimed that they do not have enough funds to audit their agencies’ financial books.

    Top on the list of defaulting agencies is the Agricultural Development Projects (ADPs).

    The books of the agency have not been audited for eight years, Aliyu said.

    He added: “All they need is N8million to carry out the exercise.”

    The governor also said IBB Specialised Hospital has defaulted for five years.

    Other defaulters are Secondary Education Board, Rural Electricity Board, Newsline Publishing Company, Science and Technical School Board, Tornadoes Management Board, Niger State Housing Corporation, Urban Development Board, Hospital Management Board and State Scholarship Board.

     

  • Aliyu to govt officials: you’re under watch

    •Governor signs 2013 Appropriation Bill 

    Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu yesterday warned civil servants, political office holder to be careful in their official dealings because the state was under surveillance.

    The governor spoke in Minna, the state capital, after signing into law the 2013 Appropriation Act passed by the House of Assembly.

    But he did not explain why the state was being watched by an unnamed anti-graft agency.

    Aliyu warned that everything government officers was being monitored.

    He said: “Everyone, I mean, all political appointees and elected officers, must be very cautious and careful. Some of us are under surveillance. Anyone from Niger State may be given more surveillance than people from other states.”

    Besides being monitored by the anti-graft agencies, the governor said government officials were also under security agencies’ telescope.

    Aliyu said: “This is not only a declaration but also a warning. Be careful in what you do in your offices, because when a petition is written against you, anti-graft and security agencies will surely invite you.”

    The governor signed the N84,098,860,326 budget, instead of the proposed N83,798,860,360 estimate, which was presented to the House of Assembly on December 4.

    The budget was increased by N300million.

    Of the over N84billion proposal, N46billion would be committed to recurrent estimates while N37billion would be spent on capital projects.

    Aliyu said the record time the budget was passed was an indication that the relationship between arms of government was cordial.

     

  • Aliyu bags UI award, marks 57th birthday

    Aliyu bags UI award, marks 57th birthday

    Nigeria’s premier ivory tower, University of Ibadan (UI) will tomorrow award Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State the Golden Jubilee Personality Award by the Institute of African Studies of the institution.

    The award coincides with the 57th birthday of the governor.According to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Malam Danladi Ndayebo, the award is in recognition of Aliyu’s outstanding contributions to growth and development of his state and the nation.

    The ceremony holds at the Trenchard Hall of the University of Ibadan.Ndayebo further said that Aliyu was chosen on the basis of his giant strides in the areas of education, health, agriculture, infrastructural development and good governance in general.”

    Governor Aliyu was chosen for entrenching conditions that guarantee sustainable peace and development of his state,” the statement concluded.

    Other personalities who will be honoured alongside Governor Aliyu are the Alaafin of Oyo, HRM Oba Olayiwola Adeyemi III; Rivers State Governor, Chief Rotimi Amaechi, CON; Chief Afe Babalola, SAN; Prof. Kwabena H. Nketia and Engr. YemisiAdedoyin.

  • Aliyu cautions FG on dialogue with Boko Haram

    Aliyu cautions FG on dialogue with Boko Haram

    Chairman of the Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF), Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, on Tuesday advised the Federal government not to dialogue with faceless but recognised members of the Boko Harma sect in order to prevent fraudsters from hijacking the peace process.

    Aliyu also urged members of the group to come out of their hiding for genuine and meaningful dialogue that would finally restore peace back to the region and the country.

    Speaking in Minna the Niger State capital on Tuesday when he received ”The Road map for Peace Unity and Development of Northern Nigeria” prepared by the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) , Aliyu said, ”we should know who we are talking to, we should not allow 419 people to hijack the process.

    ”We should confirm who we are dealing with, we should talk to them but we should talk only to genuine people,” the Niger State governor advised.

    Expressing the forum endorsement of federal government acceptance of the olive branch extended by the sect, Aliyu maintained that the forum support any move that will bring lasting peace to the region, including dialogue with the leadership of Boko Haram.

    He also advocated the merger of ACF and the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) both socio -political organizations with membership drawn from the northern part of the country.

    He argued that the merger of the two bodies will give the northern region the opportunity to speak with one voice on all issues.

     

  • 2015 election race getting tougher, says Aliyu

    2015 election race getting tougher, says Aliyu

    The Chairman of the Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF), Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, yesterday said the race for elective offices in 2015 is getting tougher, as people are overheating the polity by creating unnecessary problems.

    Apparently referring to the attacks on some public officers by those seeking political offices in the next dispensation, Governor Aliyu said: “The race for 2015 is becoming tougher. People are creating problems where there are none. They are looking for one problem or the other to nail their perceived opponents.”

    He spoke at the inauguration of the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) data capturing project and presentation of new vehicles to the Board of Internal Revenue.

    Aliyu, who did not elaborate on the statement, said: “It is lamentable that people are just looking for unfounded and most times unsubstantiated excuses to nail others because of the 2015 elections.”

    He urged public office holders to be more concerned about the delivery of the dividends of democracy to the people, while the public should reciprocate by paying their taxes and rates promptly.

    Earlier, the Chairman of the board, Alhaji Sulaiman Abdullahi Badeggi, said to improve the performance of the board, a bill has been sent to the House of Assembly for the review of some existing taxes and levies, which he said are no longer in tune with the present reality.