The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu

  • Bello meets ex-governor Aliyu, ministers, others

    Bello meets ex-governor Aliyu, ministers, others

    Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, met with former Governor of the state, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, and ministers from the state on Tuesday.

    The meeting, which took place behind closed doors in the Government House in Minna, lasted over two hours.

    Present at the meeting were the Minister of State for Solid Minerals, Hon. Abubakar Bawa Bwari, former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, former Minister of Finance, Alhaji Abubakar Kuye, ex- Minister of Agriculture, Sheik Abdullah, former Ministers of Sports, Barr. Hassan Gimba and Engr. Sani Ndanusa, former Minister of Internal Affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Achituwo, Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Hajiya Zaynab Kuchi and former Minister of State for Agriculture Hajiya Asmau Asabe Ahmed.

    Others were former military officers including Gen. Garba Duba, Gen. Idris Garba, Col. Aminu Isa Kontagora, Col. Fidelis Marka and former military governor of Katsina State, Col. John Yahaya Madaki.

    Former deputy governor of the state, Dr. Shem Nuhu Zagbayi, and ex- governor Aliyu’s deputy, Hon. Ahmed Ibeto, completed the list.

    Journalists, who got wind of the meeting, were earlier barred from entering the Government House by security men who claimed they were “acting on instruction from above.”

    It, however, took the intervention of the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Jide Orintunsin, before the security men granted some journalists access to the Government House premises.

    Addressing journalists on the outcome of the meeting, Madaki said the meeting was at the instance of Governor Bello.

    According to him, the meeting was designed to intimate them on the state government’s programmes and policies.

    “The meeting had a four- point agenda which deliberated on the ‘state of the state’, the internally generated revenue, infrastructural decay and security.

    “A five- man advisory committee was constituted to offer innovative advice and dynamic perspectives as well as wise counsels on how to improve the economy, infrastructures and security of the state,” the former military governor stated.

     

     

     

  • Breaking: Court grants Ex-Governor Aliyu, Nasko bail

    Breaking: Court grants Ex-Governor Aliyu, Nasko bail

    Former Niger state Governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu and his Chief of Staff, Umar Nasko has been granted bail by a Minna High Court Judge, Justice Aliyu Mayaki.

    Aliyu and Nasko were arraigned last week by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five count charge bothering on the misappropriation of over N4.5 billion belonging to the Niger state government.

    The duo were remanded in the Minna Medium Security Prisons in Tunga last week Monday.

    The bail conditions for Aliyu include a N150 million and a surety with properties valued at N200 million while Nasko is bail of N100 million and a surety with landed properties worth N150 million.

    Commending the Judge for the judgement, the Counsel to Umar Nasko, Mamman Mike Usman said that the bail conditions for his client was too harsh but the bail conditions would be met.

    The duo have met with the bail conditions and have been allowed to go to their various homes amidst jubilation from supporters.

     

  • EFCC raids ex-governor Aliyu’s residence in Minna

    EFCC raids ex-governor Aliyu’s residence in Minna

    Officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Thursday raided the private residence of former Niger state Governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu and his farm in Minna, Niger state.

    The Nation learnt that the officials arrived at the residence located along Peter Seriki road in Tunga early in the morning and searcher the house; some witnesses around noted that the officials spent about two hours in the house.

    The raided residence of Aliyu was the house he stayed all through his eight years tenure as the governor of the state.

    After the search of the residence, the EFCC officials then proceeded to the multi-million naira farm of the former governor which is located along Mandela road in Minna.

    Efforts to get some of his family members and his media aide to speak proved abortive as none of them were ready to make any comment

     

     

  • Aliyu’s administration was rocked by fraud – Bello

    Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, on Friday disclosed that the immediate past administration of Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu was characterized with fraud, saying most of the projects and programmes reportedly carried out by the administration could not be traced.

    The governor added that members of the Peoples Democratic Party, government functionaries and private individuals feasted on state resources for eight years the party was in power in the state.

    Bello, who stated these in a state broadcast to mark his 100 days in office, said there were several questionable transactions the former administration must account for.

    The discrepancies, according to him, were discovered by the financial management committee set up by his administration, lamenting that one of such discrepancies was discovered in the state and local government joint account where a massive fraud was perpetrated.

    Bello said, “We instituted a financial management committee to look at all major financial transactions of the state and local governments from May 2007 to May 2015.  The committee has made substantial progress and the findings are quite revealing.

    [ad id=”403656”]“A review of the operations of some of the major bank accounts of the state and the Local Government Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC) over the last eight years revealed some despicable patterns such as huge cash withdrawals by government officials, private individuals and PDP officials and members.

    “For example, an examination of only two bank accounts of Government House shows more than N70billion cash withdrawals by a few officials who must explain the purpose for which the withdrawals were made. The operation of the joint account was characterized by diversions and a misapplication of huge funds especially those paid to Ward Development Projects and 10km roads’ projects.

    “For instance, out of the total sum of over N11billion paid to the accounts of Ward Development Projects, the relevant officials of the ministry of local government could not account for N2.86billion, while N 613million was spent on ‘ghost’ vehicles and N675.50million was said to be lent to Ministry of Finance where the funds cannot be traced.”

  • Northern governors calls for Monguno’s release

    Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) on Saturday demanded for the immediate release of elder statesman and Nigeria’s first Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr Shettima Ali Monguno kidnapped on Friday in Maiduguri.

    Describing the action as  totally unacceptable, the Chairman of the forum and Governor of Niger State, Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Malam Danladi Ndayebo in Minna said that it was sad that for an elder statesmen who have served the nation selflessly to become the target of kidnappers who are now on rampage across the country.

    According to Aliyu, “It is bad enough that several innocent citizens have been killed by unknown gunmen in the troubled Borno State in recent times. Adding the fear of kidnapping of elder statesmen who have served their father land selflessly to their burden is unbearable”.

    The statement called on security agencies to act swiftly to trace and arrest those behind the abduction of Monguno, to serve as a deterrent to those who may want to now target our elder statesmen, or any Nigerian for that matter.

    It hailed the Borno State Government for the steps taken so far to rescue the 92-year-old from his abductors, while assuring Nigerians that the forum was working closely with the federal government to tackle the challenges of insecurity decisively.
    End.