From Saka Bolaji, Minna
The Niger State Branch of Campaign for Democracy (CD) has berated the Niger state Governor Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello for his silence over billions of naira Paris Club funds received, saying this is tantamount to alleged secret looting going on in the system.
This was contained in a letter written to the Speaker, Niger State House of Assembly, Hon. Ahmed Marafa dated 20th June, 2017 signed by the State CD Chairman, Comrade Abdullahi M. Jabi made available to newsmen in Minna.
The CD therefore urged Governor Bello to emulate other states of the federation and disclose how much the state had received from the Paris refund.
Jabi further said that apart from the secrecy of the Sani-Bello administration on the Paris Club refund, the governor is allegedly running government by leaving the electorate in the darkness and wallowing in poverty, observes no public bidding of contacts as contained in the procurement act for diligent accountability.
He noted that civil society is demanding openness, transparency and accountability government to the people towards delivering effective and efficient services to the citizenry. The CD added that the government should come up with the expenditure profile and the amount received.
Comrade Jabi lamented over lack of budget breakdown for 2017 for the general public just as the state assembly and called for caution and watchfulness on the part of the electorate.
In the letter titled, ‘Re: Niger State House of Assembly Passes 12 bills in two ( 2) years’ the CD accused the 8th legislature for not living to the expectations of the people, recalling that the second trench of the Paris club fund released to the state was N14 billion.
It wrote: “We have our reservation regarding our passage of 12 bills into law within two years, this is a low performance ever witnessed since the return of democracy in Niger state”.
He stated that as a matter of integrity and morality members of the House should be proactive in passing bills that will improve and impact positively on the welfare of all Nigerlites, saying that they have performed below average.
The CD urged the Assembly members to sit up for their constitutional responsibility by increasing their oversight functions in all the MDAs to check and track 2017 budget implementation by the Executive.
Jabi also explained that the challenges facing humanity demanded commitment, focus, sacrifice and dutiful to reduce hunger, poverty, crime, violence unemployment.
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