HOW NIGER STATE LOST BILLIONS DUE TO INCOMPETENCE

The executive Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Sanni Bello is not a happy man at the moment and he is seriously talking tough; reason is because he is failing to deliver on his campaign promises to the people of Niger State due to the fact that the earnings of the State through internally generated revenue is dwindling away and this is making it difficult for him to bankroll various projects in the State.Global News sources have just been informed that Bello is now having sleepless nights over the issue of the State IGR which has continued to go down and which is now at an all time low compared to about a year ago.We also gathered that Governor Bello is very gutted with the development and has sacked the company in charge of the State IGR generation because of non-performance which has already cost Niger State government a whooping 11 billion naira over the last ten months. The development, according to sources, is making it difficult for the State to finish various on-going projects in different parts of the State.Sources also say the State used to generate about 1 billion Naira in monthly revenue about a year ago before the Governor hired a new outfit to come on board with the hope of generating about 1.5 billion naira monthly. However, the new outfit which had promised the governor – at the outset of the contract -to raise the IGR of theState failed woefully within the first three months of its coming on board by generating a little above 600 millionnaira every month. The governor was said to have given the company the benefit of the doubt for another six months but his patience has not been rewarded as the State IGR has continued to go downwards.According to reports released exclusively to Global News sources, Governor Bello has also set up a panel of inquiry to fully investigate the matter and submit its report and recommendations to him not later than the 31st of December. And out of annoyance, the Governor has allegedly ordered a full inquiry into all the accounts of all the ministries and parastatals in the State in a bid to uncover the financial impropriety and excesses of some of the political appointees and top civil servants in the State.Meanwhile the Governor who recently got the Executive Chairman of Suleja Local Government, Honourable Ahmed Dikko and his deputy suspended (through the help of Suleja Legislative Council) for financial recklessness is leaving no stone unturned in his bid to return the Niger State to his glory days. The governor isalso said to be having series of high power meetings with some technocrats in the area of revenue generation with a view to proffering lasting solutions to the problem.