Former Niger State Governor and serving Senator representing Niger North, Abubakar Sani Bello, popularly known as Abu Lolo, has questioned the utilisation of funds allocated to local governments in Niger State, particularly Borgu Local Government Area, alleging that the level of development does not reflect the monthly allocations.
Bello made the remarks during an interview with Zarar Bunu Online TV, where he expressed concern over the management of local government finances and challenged council officials to demonstrate how the funds were being spent.
According to the former governor, Borgu Local Government receives more than ₦500 million monthly, yet he questioned the visible impact of the funds on development projects.
“Where is the work of even ₦200 million?” he asked, arguing that such expenditure should produce visible results for residents.
Bello also compared the current funding available to political officeholders with what he received during his tenure as governor, claiming that the financial resources available to governors had increased considerably.
“The kind of money governors receive now, I did not receive half of it when I was in power. If a local government spends ₦200 million, it should be visible,” he said.
The senator maintained that he did not interfere with local government funds while serving as governor and challenged those who doubted his claim to seek clarification from Sarkin Daji, Jikantoro and other local government officials.
However, the figures cited by Bello and his allegations regarding the utilisation of public funds could not be independently verified from the information available. A detailed assessment would require official allocation records, expenditure reports and evidence of projects executed by the council.
The former governor also expressed concern over reports that approximately 500 people had been kidnapped in Borgu, saying he had evidence relating to the matter. The figure and the circumstances surrounding the reported kidnappings were not independently established in the information provided.
Bello further commented on President Bola Tinubu's administration, saying the president could perform better if supported by more effective political partners.
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Politics