Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State has identified continuity in governance, irrespective of political party affiliation, as the only panacea to the sustainable growth and development of the state.
The governor said this while speaking with journalists in Minna, according to a statement by his media aide Mary Noel-Berje on Monday.
Bello said the existing political system where any government that comes to power must want to embark on and commission its own projects has led to the systemic decaying or abandoning of most infrastructure and investments made by the founding fathers of the state.
According to the governor, it will be better to invest in the already existing infrastructure and build new ones when the need arises, stressing that it was retrogressive for any new government to abandon people-oriented projects started by its predecessor(s) to start a similar one.
He stated that, having reached 44 years since creation, Niger State deserved a sustainable Development Action Plan that should be executed in the collective interest, overall growth and development of the people.
“I want to see a changed Niger State. I want to see continuity in governance regardless of the political party. Continuity is for the benefit of our people, we must establish a robust maintenance culture and ensure that investments made over 40years ago by our predecessors remain functional and don’t die in vain.”
The governor noted that it was the decision of his administration, in its first term, not to embark on any new project but finish up the ones it met on ground that brought about the remarkable achievements in the Whole Schools Development Initiative where many schools were either completely rebuilt or renovated across the state.
Governor Sani Bello called for unity of purpose among the leaders and elites in the state stressing that, to move forward, we must cleanse our conscience, look critically at what affects us as a state and as a people, take responsibilities, be considerate in our decisions and confront our challenges with focus and foresight.
