Bago: We’ve Maintained Democratically Elected Leadership  in Our Local GovtsLaleye Dipo in Minna

Niger State Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Umaru Bago, has said his administration has maintained democratically elected leadership in all the 25 local governments in the state.
The governor, who was reacting to last week’s Supreme Court Judgement granting financial autonomy to the 774 local governments in the country, however, said he did not the allocation from the federation account to function and deliver on his promises in Niger.

Bago also said the state government had maintained “cordial relationship” with the local governments.
Speaking at a stakeholders meeting, where the governor gave the scorecard of his more than one year administration, Bago said the synergy between the state and local governments has brought about several developmental initiatives.

These, he claimed, included the ongoing construction of 556km of roads and the amonization of local government staff salaries with that of the state.
In addition, he said the relationship had also ensured prompt and regular payment of salaries and allowances for local government staff and the settlement of salary shortfalls up to October 2020, amounting to N3,366,421,735.53.

“We have gone ahead and effected the payment of wage bonuses to all the local government staff, support security agencies, and the vigilante, morally and otherwise,” adding that the state government has  continued to partner the local governments to provide some essential services ranging from electrification to pipe-borne water and healthcare services.”

He disclosed that the state government did not depend on the handouts from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) to finance its projects or move the state forward, adding also that, “I do not need FAAC in Niger State, the roads I am building, the projects I have undertaken are not being done by FAAC.

“We are producing and that is the secret behind what we are doing. There are people, who have invested in Niger State in the next five years,” he boasted.