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Tag: Bago

  • Bago warns against planned protest over teaching hospital

    Bago warns against planned protest over teaching hospital

    Niger State Governor, Umar Mohammed Bago has dared youths who are planning to protest  the decision of the government to site the IBB University Teaching Hospital in Minna to go ahead.

    According to the governor, anybody who holds such a protest would be arrested alongside their parents.

    The governor gave the warning when he paid a condolence visit to the Emir of Lapai, Umar Bago III, in his palace over the death of his brother.

    The state government has handed over the Shiroro Hotel in Minna to contractors for its conversion into the IBB University Teaching Hospital.

    The governor, who spoke in Hausa, said, “There are some people in this city, I heard them talking about staging a protest because we took the university teaching hospital to Minna. May God help them to do so.

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    “If they do, they will know who Bago is. Not only will I arrest them but I will also arrest their parents.”.

    According to the governor, several university teaching hospitals across the country are usually sited away from the main campus of the university, adding that there is no need for anyone to raise dust about it unless it is for mischievous reasons.

    He said the IBB University would be the first to offer medicine among the Federal and state- owned institutions in Niger.

    The governor further assured the monarch that the government would provide potable drinking water to Lapai, Agaie, and Katcha local government areas to address the age-long scarcity of water in these areas.

  • Bago to youths: I will arrest you and your parents if you protest over IBB varsity

    Bago to youths: I will arrest you and your parents if you protest over IBB varsity

    Niger state governor, Umar Mohammed Bago, has dared youths who are planning to protest over the decision of the government to site the IBB University Teaching Hospital in Minna, to go ahead. 

    The governor said that anybody who holds such a protest would be arrested alongside their parents.

    He dished gave the warning when he paid a condolence visit to the Emir of Lapai, His Royal Highness, Umar Bago III in his palace over the death of his brother. 

    Read Also: Majority of Niger population live below poverty line, says Gov Bago

    It would be recalled that the state government has handed over the Shiroro Hotel in Minna to contractors for its conversion into the IBB University Teaching Hospital. 

    The governor who spoke in Hausa said: “There are some people in this city, I heard them talking about staging a protest because we took the university teaching hospital to Minna. May God help them to do so.

    “If they do, they will know who is Bago. Not only will I arrest them but I will also arrest their parents.”

    He said several university teaching hospitals across the country are usually sited away from the main campus of the University, adding that there is no need for anyone to raise dust about it unless it is for mischievous reasons.

    He said that the IBB University would be the first institution to offer medicine among the federal and state owned institutions in Niger state.

    The governor further assured the Emir that the state government would provide portable drinking water to Lapai, Agaie, and Katcha local government areas of the state to address the agelong scarcity of water in these areas.

  • Bago to repair damaged Federal roads

    Bago to repair damaged Federal roads

    Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago, has declared that the state would no longer wait for the federal government to rehabilitate damaged federal roads across the state.

    He said the government would request refunds when the roads are repaired stating that the state of the federal roads across the state cannot be left unrepaired any longer due to non-response of the federal government.

    Speaking at the ground-breaking for the rehabilitation and construction of Minna township roads, Bago said,  “Niger state is the largest state in terms of landmass and has the highest number of federal roads. We will no longer wait for the federal government to do the roads for us.

    “We are discussing with the Presidency to see how we can ask for refunds for the jobs we are doing but notwithstanding, we are going ahead to do the roads”, he stated.

    The Governor also stated that in the next four years, the state would rehabilitate and construct 1,500 kilometers of roads across the state while he declared the extension of the Minna city gates with 22 kilometers to make the Minna Emirate 100 square kilometers.

    Read Also: Why Tinubu gave marching order to governors on food security, by Bago

    He said that there are 556 roads planned under aggressive urban renewal in the next four years as the government targets to expend N1 trillion on infrastructure in the next two years.

    Bago urged the youths to take advantage of the investment and urban renewal programs being undertaken by the government to empower micro, small, and medium businesses across the state.

    Commissioner of Works, Suleiman Umar, said the 202 kilometers of Minna township roads would comprise the rehabilitation of 14 existing roads, construction of eight new roads, and five flyovers while existing single lane roads would be dualized.

    He said that although this is the most ambitious urban renewal project the state has ever had, it is realizable and achievable.

    The Managing Director of CCECC, David Wong, assured the government that the company would ensure the use of local content in materials and human resources assuring the government that they would meet up with the target given to them by the state government.

  • Why Tinubu gave marching order to governors on food security, by Bago

    Why Tinubu gave marching order to governors on food security, by Bago

    Niger state governor, Mohammed Umar Bago said that President Bola Tinubu has given a matching order to state governors in the country to embark on mass food production in other to enhance food security in the country.

    Bago, who disclosed this while interacting with members of the House of Representatives Press Corps, said his state was prepared to take the lead in complying with the presidential directive.

    He said the state has already prepared about 300,000 hectares of farmland to be cultivated, while plans are ongoing to clear another 250,000 hectares of farmland across the state.

    He said the state was conscious of the fact that it does not have the Blue economy being developed by the government, but intends to rely heavily on its land mass and green vegetation to improve the economy of the state.

    Speaking on climate change, the governor said: “It is very very clear that climate change has been a topic of discussion in the world. This morning I watched with so much pain how Libya has been overtaken by flood unprecedented.

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    “As a country and as a State, that is 10% the total size of Nigeria with bodies of water for hydropower dams, it is high time we start to pluck excess water during rainy season as a national plan so that we can plough them back when we have a drought.

    “As the world is evolving, we cannot be doing otherwise. So, as a state, we are already poised and positioned for the next level. Mr President, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given a marching order for food insecurity and Niger State wants to have 10% of the total landmass of Nigeria.

    “So, we have to collaborate with our neighbouring states with the Federal Government in the SABC initiative of the AfDB and also with the Livestock Investment Programme of the government of Nigeria. So these are the benefits.”

    Speaking on insecurity in parts of the state, Governor Bago said those willing to invest in the state have no reason to be afraid anymore as the government was already taking proactive measures to address the issue.

    He said the government’s plan is to take over all lands currently housing bandits across the state and put them into economic use.

    He said the government has discovered that most of the land currently being occupied by the bandits are not governed and therefore plans to take over such land for vast agricultural purpose.

    The governor also disclosed that the state government has banned mining activities in the state, while making arrangements to create ranches for cattle, adding that in the next six months be planting about 10 million trees across the state.

    He said further that the state government has banned mining in the state and will no longer allow those involved to operate in the state even when they come with a license from the Federal Government.

    Bago stated that a relationship exists between mining and cattle as the miners often use the cattle to carry their products away from mining sites.

    He also said that the state government has entered into an agreement with some state governments in the southwestern part of the country on the stoppage of cattlemen to the South.

    The governor said: “We have agreed that cattle will no longer be transported to the South. They will stop at Mokwa where we are setting up a processing plant which will process them before they are transported to the south.” 

  • I won’t wait again for FG to repair damaged roads in Niger, says Governor Bago

    I won’t wait again for FG to repair damaged roads in Niger, says Governor Bago

    Niger state governor, Mohammed Umar Bago, has declared that the state would no longer wait for the federal government to rehabilitate damaged federal roads across the state.

    He said that the government would request refunds when the roads are repaired, stating that the state of federal roads across the state cannot be left unrepaired any longer due to non-response from the federal government.

    Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the rehabilitation and construction of Minna township roads, Bago said: “Niger state is the largest state in terms of landmass and has the highest number of federal roads. We will no longer wait for the federal government to do the roads for us.

    “We are discussing with the Presidency to see how we can ask for refunds for the jobs we are doing but notwithstanding, we are going ahead to do the roads.”

    The governor also stated that in the next four years, the state would rehabilitate and construct 1,500 kilometers of roads across the state while he declared the extension of the Minna city gates with 22 kilometres to make the Minna Emirate 100 square kilometres.

    He said that there are 556 roads planned under aggressive urban renewal in the next four years as the government targets to expend N1 trillion on infrastructure in the next two years.

    Bago urged the youths to take advantage of the investment and urban renewal programs being undertaken by the government disclosing plans of the government to empower micro, small, and medium businesses across the state.

    Read Also: Bago to invest N1tr on infrastructure

    The state commissioner of works, Suleiman Umar said that the 202 kilometres of Minna township roads would comprise the rehabilitation of 14 existing roads, construction of eight new roads, and five flyovers while existing single-lane roads would be dualized.

    He said that although this is the most ambitious urban renewal project the state has ever had, it is realizable and achievable.

    The Managing Director of CCECC, David Wong, assured the government that the company would ensure the use of local content in materials and human resources assuring the government that they would meet up with the target given to them by the state government.

  • Bago to invest N1tr on infrastructure

    Bago to invest N1tr on infrastructure

    Niger State Government will invest N1 trillion in infrastructure development in the state in the next two years.

    Governor Mohammed Umaru-Bago stated this at a startup workshop on the Minna-Bida Road project co-financed by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD)

    Bago, who described Niger as a gateway connecting the Northern and Southern parts of the country, maintained that developing the state’s infrastructure would be of immense benefit to the state and the country.

    In a statement, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, said Umaru-Bago expressed appreciation to the IsDB and ADFD for agreeing to co-finance the project.

    Bago highlighted the huge potential in the state, ranging from its size to the presence of four hydro dams.

    He, however, expressed concern that despite the potential, the state was bedevilled by insecurity and infrastructure deficits.

    The governor, therefore, called on development partners to support the state in  security, health, education, and agriculture.    

    “So that the state can attain an enviable height of development,” he said.

    The governor added that counterpart funds were available.

    Read Also: Gov. Bago approves 2 trucks of rice as palliatives for NLC

    Bago directed the Commissioner for Communication Technology and Digital Economy, Suleiman Isah, to engage telecoms companies on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), that would improve online education in the state.

    The team leader, Mr Alagi Gaye, said $163 million had been earmarked for the project.

    “Out of this, the Islamic Development Bank will provide $86.64 million, $44.76 million from the Abu Dhabi Development Fund while the Niger State Government is to provide $31.6 million,” he said.

    He acknowledged the efforts of the state government towards the success of the project.

    Gaye explained the startup workshop was important for the effective implementation of the project and to enhance the capacities of executing agencies and project management units, among others.

    The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works Alhaji Hassan Baba Etsu, commended the governor for his commitment to ensuring the continuation of the Minna-Bida road project as well as prompt payment of counterpart funds for development partners in the state.

    He assured the IsDB and ADFD of an enabling environment for effective monitoring of the project.

    “The Ministry will ensure that specifications and the terms of the contract are strictly adhered to,” he said.

    Also representative from the Ministry of Finance, Dahiru Idris, described the Minna-Bida project as significant to both the state and the country.

    He assured that all necessary steps would be taken to work in synergy with all development partners, to ensure that the project becomes a reality.

    Earlier, the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Abubakar Usman, said that the workshop would serve as an opportunity for participants to come together to understand how best to execute the Minna-Bida road project efficiently and effectively.

    He added that the project was a significant milestone in the development of the State

  • Governor Bago declares 3 days of public holiday for palliatives distribution

    Governor Bago declares 3 days of public holiday for palliatives distribution

    Niger State governor, Mohammed Umar Bago, has declared the 6th to 8th of September as a public holiday for the distribution of palliatives across the state.

    The governor also stated that anyone caught diverting any of the palliatives or the money meant for the palliatives would face a jail term.

    Speaking during a maiden press conference at the Government House in Minna, Bago disclosed that the state government has received N3 billion as cash palliatives and five trucks of rice from the federal government adding that the state government is still expecting the balance of N2 billion and 40,000 bags of maize from the federal government.

    He added that because the state government cannot wait for the federal government to send in the balance while the people are suffering, the state government has decided to augment the palliatives so that it would get to the grassroots.

    Read Also: Banditry: Gov Bago’s futile dialogue option

    Bago pointed out that all public officers, civil servants, political appointees, political parties, and organized labour would be involved in the palliatives distribution which would be at the polling units and ward level, adding that the three days of public holidays are to ensure that all the political appointees and public office holders go back to their local government and wards to oversee the distribution of the palliatives.

    He said: “N10 million will be distributed per ward in 21 local government areas while wards in Bida, Suleja, Kontagora, and Chachanga local government areas would get N20 million each. N80 million will be gone to traditional institutions so that they won’t put their hands on what is meant for the people, N75 million will be provided for the IDPs, N150 million to political parties so that they won’t divert the palliatives, and N110 million for logistics and security.

    “The federal government is sending us 40,000 bags of maize and we have 4,950 polling units, we are sharing 10 bags of maize per polling unit. We will be augmenting additional 10,000 bags which will cost us N575 million. The total value would be N5, 230,550,000. The state would augment N230 billion to the N5 billion that would be given by the federal government.

    “The monies would be disturbed on Monday to the local government accounts. Everybody must go and sit down in their wards and local government. You must not buy rice. If your people are used to eating beans or yam, buy it for them. The local government and wards would decide what to buy. We decided not to decentralize this money so that we can spread the wealth back to the people.”

    The governor declared that the distribution of palliatives should be everybody’s business and if there is any problem or any unwarranted practice, it should be pointed out and those responsible would face the law.