… Warns buyers to beware of Minna City Center land
… ‘Minna city center has been an eyesore’- SSG
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Niger State has raised the alarmed that the Governor Abubakar Sani Bello led All Progressives Congress (APC) is selling off the state’s assets, thereby “mortgaging the future of the state to families and friends.
It should be noted that the Secretary to the Niger State Government (SSG), Ahmed Ibrahim Matane received a cheque of Four Hundred million Naira (N400 million) meant for the purchase of three hectares of the land of Minna City Centre representing 1/3 of the land presented to him in his Office by Alhaji Mohammed Sirajo, Executive Director, Jaiz Bank.
The SSG in a statement signed by his Information Officer, Lawal Tanko further explained that the Minna City Centre which is situated in the heart of Minna remained an eyesore, hence the need for Government to improve the economic situation and wellbeing of the people of the State by putting the place into viable economic use.
However, in a statement signed by the PDP’s Publicity Secretary, Suleiman Ahmed Aliyu, the PDP said it finds it rather disturbing, adding that “it is an indirect and cryptic effort towards mortgaging the future of the state to people that could at best be termed, families and friends (F&F) of people in Government.”
According to the statement “the All Progressives Congress (APC) led administration of Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger state at the twilight of the expiration of the incompetent administration has chosen to start auction of the state’s most valued assets to cronies and friends.
“The PDP is well aware that procurement processes have not been observed and in the past 7 years contracts were never advertised for Nigerlites to bid, but dished out to people with “Long legs” and connection with people in Government.”
The PDP said that “this has left the state pauperized and the citizens especially the youth wallow in joblessness as outsiders are brought to do even the least of unskilled labour, not minding the availability of such unskilled and semi skilled labour in the state.
“As though that is not enough and disingenuous, the Minna city Centre land which is reserved for the central business Area development is now being sold.
“The PDP is aware that 1/3 of the land representing 3 has been sold for a chicken change of N400million, the PDP is also aware that the mall has been sold.
“We suspect that these sales are the final stage of mortgaging the state’s critical assets to cronies and families of people in key Government positions”.
Lamenting, the Party said it is very unfortunate that 7 years after budgeting close to N1trillion no single project worth N5 billion was commenced and commissioned by the APC led Government of Governor Abubakar Sani Bello in Niger state.
“Now that the APC has been served a quit notice to pack and leave in 2023 by Nigerlites, they are making frantic efforts to share the common patrimony of the state to few individuals,” the statement read further.
Furthermore, the statement assured Nigerlites that “the PDP shall recover every inch of asset taken, immediately it is sworn in 2023, adding that, “we will not fold our arms and watch those who couldn’t build anything destroy the legacies it left for the people”.