As Umar Mohammed Bago resumes office as governor of Niger State, former Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu has appealed to all residents of the state to join hands collectively with the new administration to enable him deliver on his campaign promises.
The former Niger governor stated this in Minna yesterday when delivering his speech during the dinner/gala night organized in honour of the new governor.
According to him, everybody in the state must support the new governor, regardless of their tribe, religion and political affiliation.
Aliyu said, “Elections are over and we have to come together to ensure that the governor succeeds. If the governor fails we all have failed. So, he must succeed,” he said.
Niger state became more divided along political and religious lines following the political disagreements that characterised the elections.
But the former governor charged the people of the state to put behind their differences and rally around Governor Bago for the sake of the state.
He also advised the governor to work with people of impeccable character instead of sycophant who may be out to derail the administration.
He appealed to the governor to keep to his campaign promises, saying he should be committed and serve the people of Niger State with all dedication and sense of purpose.
The former governor, while felicitating with Governor Umar Mohammed Bago, said the task ahead is enormous and daunting, adding that the governor should pay attention to three different sets of people while in office.
He said first, Bago should work with those who wish the governor well and want him to succeed and ready at all time to do positive things for the governor.
Secondly, he said the governor must beware of another category of people who will be there for themselves and can do anything possible to see that they get whatever they want for their selfish reason.
“And lastly, the ex-governor said there are those who don’t care if you succeed or not, as your success is none of their business”, he noted.
Aliyu admonished the new governor to hold on firmly to the first category, saying they will help the governor succeed.
He charged the governor to take the issue of welfare very seriously and prayed for the administrations to succeed.