In a swift reaction to comments made by the opposition party, the Niger State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Jonathan Vatsa, has condemned the recent description of the administration of Governor Abubakar Sani Bello as poor in performance by the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Tanko Beji.
Vatsa said on Tuesday in an interview with our Correspondent it was unfortunate those who were part of the under-development that the state suffered for 16 years still had the energy left to attack a government that has been trying in the past 11 months to right the wrongs of several years.
It should be recalled that the PDP Chairman had only last week told the All Progressives Congress administration led by Governor Bello to account for the local government funds collected by the state in the last one year.
The Commissioner noted that if acquiring wealth from near penury overnight to buy property all over Nigeria hiding under party leadership was the yardstick for action and performance, the government has refused to do that and will not do that but will execute realistic and people-oriented projects for the good of Nigerlites.
Vatsa stated: “We will not deceive people neither will we allow people to become rich overnight with government patronage because they were in power at the expense of Nigerlites.
“Ours is a government that will always understand the needs of the people and provide for the people the desired development within the available scarce resources.
“Ordinarily, we would not have joined issues with people that failed the state for 16 years but for the avoidance of doubt even though we received within the past 11 months what was received by the PDP government in one month, we still remain regular and up to date in payment of salaries, repair of roads, completing road projects and initiating new ones.”
Vatsa stated further that for the first time, the educational system in the state is undergoing systemic overhaul, the health system is being made grass root oriented through reinvigorated Primary Health Care system, youth and women empowerment is placed on the priority list and Agriculture receiving the deserving attention as the best way to make the state economy robust and grow naturally along the line of its comparative advantages.
The Commissioner disclosed that the government has re-engineered the system to be investors’ valid and reliable to the extent that investors found it worthy to see Niger State as investment haven, a departure from using pseudo investors as conduit pipe to siphon state resources through questionable arrangements that characterised PDP government in the past.
Vatsa said: “This government has successfully blocked areas of leakages.
“The government is in the process of harmonising taxes, adopted Treasury Single Account with minimal cost and we are adopting the best accounting practices in the management of resources.
“These are things lacking in the past.
“We cannot do it in their (PDP) ways of deception and make believe.”
Vatsa disclosed further that the Governor has been categorical about joint account.
He said: “That it will be done in the right way;that the local government councils’ autonomy will not be tampered with; that whatever is due to the councils will be remitted without diversion that characterised the practice of PDP government.
“The logic behind this is to enable the councils operate within the strength of their resources without any interference from the state government except a supervisory role as enshrined in the constitution.
“If this is mistaken for contravening the constitution, then PDP is not ready to show remorse for diverting local government funds over the years for unjust reasons and even tampering with local government workers pension funds.”
Vatsa added that the APC-led government has a social contract with the people of the state and has agreed to execute by the mandate given to the party.
He added: “We shall not be distracted by empty lies.
“We are not like PDP that was and is still an empty drum that makes the loudest noise.
“We will be practical in our achievements for people to see.”
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