Governor Mohammed Umar Bago of Niger State has fulfilled his promise of a N250 million gift to Auwalu Salisu, a Kano-based commercial tricycle rider who demonstrated an exceptional act of honesty by returning N15 million found in his tricycle to the rightful owners.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Governor Bago made the pledge in March during the LEADERSHIP Annual Conference and Awards, where Auwalu was recognized as the newspaper’s Outstanding Young Person of the Year 2023 for his rare display of integrity. The governor had promised Auwalu N50 million each from himself, President Bola Tinubu, Ministers, APC Governors Forum, and the Niger State government.
In addition to the cash gift, Auwalu also received a scholarship offer from Mr. Peter Obi, a fellow awardee and presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), to study at Abuja-based Baze University up to the PhD level.
To ensure the effective management of the funds, a trustee comprising representatives from the Niger State government, LEADERSHIP, the Sam Nda-Isaiah Foundation, and Auwalu’s family has been constituted. The Niger State SSG, Alhaji Abubakar Usman, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Digital and Strategic Communications, Abdulberqy Usman Ebbo, will represent the state on the board. Auwalu selected his uncle, Auwalu Tukur, and Shehu Bala Kabara to serve on the committee.
Zainab Nda-Isaiah, chairman of LEADERSHIP Group Ltd, stated that the trustee would be inaugurated at a later date and would oversee the use of the funds, including provisions for Auwalu’s education and upskilling, among other initiatives aligned with the purpose of Governor Bago’s gift.
“By redeeming his pledge, the governor has demonstrated that his word is his bond, an increasingly rare quality, especially in public service,” Nda-Isaiah said.