Appointment: 500 Niger youths protest marginalisation

Over five hundred youths from Niger East Senatorial Zone B, on Sunday, protested the marginalisation ‎melted to them by the State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, in the appointment of officers into various positions.

Gov Abubakar Sani-Bello

The group, under the aegis of Gbegnu Boknu Yakwo Youth Association‎, while protesting with placards, expressed dissatisfaction, saying the appointments were not in line with the principles of equity and fairness among the people of the state.

Expressing dismay, the State Chairman of the group, Comrade Danjuma Paiko said, “We are not happy with the appointments done so far by the governor, such as the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), and the redistribution of Permanent Secretaries.

“We, the people of Niger East Senatorial Zone have not been treated well despite the large number of votes gotten from the zone during the 2015 general election.

“We call on the state government to as a matter of urgency consider the plight of Zone B to re-address all these anomalies before the local government election.‎ ‎

In a reaction, the Niger State governor, Abubakar Sani Bello told Journalists that only technocrats who will be able to deliver to the people will be appointed.

The Chief Press Secretary to the governor‎, Ibraheem Dooba, who spoke on behalf of his boss said the people should be concerned about development in the state and not appointments.

‎”It is clear that the redistribution of Permanent Secretaries favoured Niger North and South against Niger East senatorial districts. Evidently, of the 25 Permanent Secretaries retained, only four come from Zone B and this smacks a deliberate agenda for the isolation of Niger East senatorial district from the Niger state All Progressives Congress (APC) administration” Dooba said.

Dooba, while calling for patience disclosed that a list of advisers had been drawn by the governor ‎and that names of Commissioners will be announced soon.

“In terms of representation, everybody will be well represented‎ but some appointments are done to de-emphasise politics, especially that of the SSG. Only technocrats will be appointed”, he added.

The groups disclosed that, all efforts by the people of the Zone to dialogue with the governor since June 3rd, 2015, proved abortive hence the protest.