As the impact of the global economic meltdown becomes more real in Nigeria, institutions, states and corporate bodies have been adopting various survival strategies. In this piece, FRANCIS FALOLA, writes on the positioning of Niger State for the challenge
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Dr. Babangida Aliyu
A former Managing Director of Peugeot Automobile Nigeria PAN), Alhaji Umaru Ndanusa, drew the ire of the Niger State workers when he suggested a reduction in the state workforce in view of the ongoing global economic meltdown.
Ndanusa, who is a former Chairman of the Management Board of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria and also the state‘s People‘s Democratic Party‘s Elder‘s Forum, had, during a courtesy visit by the forum to Government House, Minna, observed that it would be a Herculean task for the PDP administration in the state to grapple with the issue of economic development, especially in the areas of provision of basic social amenities, except the Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu-led administration reduced its workforce.
Ndanusa said considering the position of the state (as a predominantly civil service state, lacking in industries to boost internally generated revenue and economic development), the government may run into a brick wall in attempting to meet the needs of the people. According to him, this might particularly be difficult in terms of basic social amenities provision and in actualising Aliyu‘s dreams of elevating the state to the pedestal of one of the three best economies in the country by the year 2020.
Ndanusa‘s fear was informed by the economic indices on ground and the alarm earlier raised by the governor during the courtesy visit on the loss of 40 per cent revenue allocation by the 36 states across the country in February.
At the meeting, Aliyu had disclosed that the crippling global economic crisis had taken its toll on the country, as all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory...