Niger State Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Umaru Bago, emphasized that his administration has upheld democratically elected leadership across all 25 local governments in the state. Addressing the recent Supreme Court decision granting financial autonomy to Nigeria’s 774 local governments, Governor Bago underscored the state’s self-sufficiency in utilizing allocations from the federation account to fulfill its commitments……
Highlighting a cooperative relationship between the state and local governments, Governor Bago presented achievements during a stakeholders meeting, detailing over a year of governance.
He noted collaborative efforts resulting in significant initiatives, including ongoing road constructions spanning 556km and the harmonization of local government staff salaries with state counterparts.Furthermore, Governor Bago highlighted timely remittances of salaries and allowances, alongside the settlement of salary shortfalls totaling N3,366,421,735.53 up to October 2020. He emphasized additional support measures such as wage bonuses for local government employees and partnerships facilitating essential services like electricity, water supply, and healthcare.
Asserting independence from federal handouts, Governor Bago affirmed that the state’s development projects and advancements were financed autonomously. He expressed confidence in Niger State’s economic prospects, citing ongoing investments set to yield dividends over the next five years.
