Nigerlites demand removal of River Basin Boss

A pressure group under the aegis of Concerned Nigerlites Forum on Saturday‎ protested in Niger State calling for the removal of the Managing Director of Upper Niger River Basin Development Authority, Abdulkareem M. Ali, saying he is not a Nigerian.
The protesters, who spoke with newsmen, were led by Comrade Mohammed Mohammed.
They journalists that Ali was not the person recommended by the Niger State Government for the job.
According to Mohammed: “If Prof. Ali does not have a Permanent Voters Card, then there is every possibility that he has no National Identity Card, meaning of course that he is not a Nigerian. Further checks may vindicate us. He is not a Nigerlite.
“If he is, why is his indigineship certificate of the defunct Gbako LGA not presented, which of course must be verifiable?
“All we have consciously pointed out was, and still is the fact that, he is an imposter who is not legally qualified (his formidable academic credentials, notwithstanding) to occupy that seat.
“Our attention was drawn to a self-serving rejoinder, with the caption: ‘Putting the record straight on Prof. Ali, UBRBDA Boss,’ published in two national dailies where the ghost authors embarked on a wild goose chase and toiled in vain to sell a dummy to the unsuspecting members of the public.
“What we are fighting is injustice which we want to be righted. We have no doubt that this legal demand will be met and our choice Alhaji Ibrahim Isah Barwa, as duly recommended by the State and party will be considered.
“The MD is not the person recommended by the Niger State Government and was never endorsed by the All Progressives Congress Niger State Chapter and the State has been shortchanged for years since the creation of the agency, despite being the host community.”
Mohammed added that the self-seeking and sympathy scavenging rejoinder to the Press Conference by Concerned Nigerlites Forum over the appointment of the MD, UNRBDA is trivial, pedestrian and laughable.
He said: “The authors embarked on a futile journey to inform those who care to know that the MD is a renowned Professor of Agricultural Engineering.‎
“They also woefully failed to produce a proof against the Concerned Nigerlites Forum’s allegation that the MD, Prof. M.A. Ali, is not a Nigerlite.
“We would like to categorically state it here for the umpteenth time that since the creation of Upper Niger River Basin Development Authority with Kaduna, Abuja FCT and Niger as the catchment areas, the MDs have consistently emerged from Kaduna and Abuja FCT with Niger State being shortchanged.”
The group, while frowning at the lopsided appointment, said: “Kano  State has two slots which include;  Prof. Abdulkareem M. Ali of Upper Niger River Basin, Minna​ , 2017 to date, and Hadeja-Jama’are of River Basin, Kano State.
“Prof. Ali was illegally appointed by his bosom friend, the Minister of Water Resources. Who recommended Prof Ali for that political position in the first place to be appointed to such a political office? Aperson has to either be a card-carrying member of a ruling party or a registered voter.”
The Forum further stated that it was happy that the new APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomohle, recently pledged to do everything possible to purge out of the system all elements that do not share the philosophy and ideology of the party.
Mohammed said: “One of such imposters is Prof. Ali and must be sent packing forthwith.
“The issue of contract is diversionary as there is no correlation with the  issue at hand. The issue is that Prof. Ali is not from the catchment area because he is not from Niger State, not a card-carrying member of APC, not a Registered Voter, not the person recommended and endorsed by both the Niger State Government and the APC Niger State Chapter.
“He is therefore not qualified to occupy the office of the Managing Director of UNRBDA. As a matter of fact, it is doubtful if Prof. Ali is even a Nigerian given the fact that there is no indication he has a National Identity Card.”