I failed in managing my staff – Niger State Governor Bello confesses

Governor of Niger state, Abubakar Sani Bello, has admitted his failure in managing the size of his staff, despite the challenges the state is currently facing.

Bello made the confession when he received the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright at the Government House in Minna on Thursday.

According to him, there are so many staff in the Niger state civil service to the point that most of them are redundant and idle.

He added that every measure he had put in place to cut down on the staff both at the civil service and appointed staff has yielded poor results.

Bello lamented: “Already, we have so many staff and it has been difficult to cut down on the staff.

“Even politically, it is difficult to cut down on the staff. I have tried to cut down on the staff in so many ways but I have failed,” he lamented.

The Governor then asked that the British High Commission partners with the state in the area of building of technical and vocational institutions in a bid to reduce youth restiveness and the search for blue collared jobs.

He appealed for a long term relationship with the British government, adding that it will be beneficial to the state and the United Kingdom.

Earlier, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright had expressed the interest of the United Kingdom in partnering with the state government in the area of mining and agriculture.

He said that Niger state have a large potential in agriculture if the potentials are properly harnessed, pointing out that the agricultural sector can take the state out of its current economic challenges.