By Wole Mosadomi
Minna — Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State has called on his colleagues nationwide to ensure that local government allocations are released to the various councils directly to give room for aggressive rural development.

He said statistics had shown that most Nigerians were much more resident in the rural areas and lack the basic necessities such as potable water, shelter, health facilities, education, good roads among others even though they contribute meaningfully to the economic and social development of the country.

This trend of total neglect, he said, could only be addressed and reversed if allocations from the Federal Government meant for the development of the local governments are released to the various councils across the country by the state governors to enable the chairmen develop their areas.

Aliyu who was addressing people of the state while commissioning the final set of projects in Minna to commemorate Democracy Day in the state said the rural dwellers were more than before enlightened and know their rights and would one day demand it, adding that political office holders should not therefore wait and be caught napping on the day of reckoning.

The governor said when the people see transformations in terms of development in their areas, “they will have confidence in government and those who govern them.”

According to him, “the simple belief of most Nigerians today is that those in government are thieves and even robbers and this is why we in position of power should correct that bad impression and the only way to do this is to channel funds meant for the people to projects that have direct bearing on them.

“It is their money we spend and we must explain to them how it is spent because we in government are accountable to the people.”