Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu has urged State Governments in the country to focus more on local governance. The President also bemoaned the over dependence on the Federal Government by the States.
According to report, the President lamented the crass neglect of the local government areas by State Governments. He, therefore, appealed to State Governments to prioritize the needs of local communities. By ensuring accountability and effectiveness in the administration of Council Areas.
This was contained in a statement by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale. He stated that President Tinubu made the plea at a meeting with the leadership of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to Ngelale, The President, noted the seeming lack of attention for the grassroots where he observed votes come from. He, therefore, charged his guests to reach out to Governors on the Local Governments’ administration in the country. The President urged the Governors to be sympathetic and urgently attend to the needs of the local people.
The statement read: “We are running a constitutional democracy. I will appeal to you to summon the Governors. I am doing my very best to enhance the revenue base of the country. They must equally be sympathetic and they must urgently consider the needs of the local people.
“People reside in the local communities. That is where they work, farm and live. If the Local Governments are not effective in delivering services; as leaders, we must not hang on to the numbers. We have 774 Local Government Areas, but are they truly effective? Do they solve problems for Nigerians? Do they coordinate development programming with the State and Federal Governments?
“Who is being held accountable for the performance of the 774 Local Governments? Maybe, we should look at recalibrating. What was good four years ago may not be good today. When we want the votes, we go to the locals. When we get the votes, we move to and focus on Abuja,” the President said.
Tinubu also used to occasion to bemoan the high percentage of out-of-school-children in the Northern part of the country. He, therefore, described the situation as unacceptable.
“The question of out-of-school children is unacceptable. Education is a tool against poverty. And that is what brought many of us here. We must use our education to serve the people and improve their conditions. We must develop the backbone of Nigeria’s economy, which is the education system. And we will collaborate with you on this intensively.
“We are still building Nigeria. And I am glad that you have emphasized the need for development. The infrastructure decay is unacceptable, and the level of poverty in the north is unacceptable. We must eliminate the source of these trends,” President Tinubu stated.
On security, President Tinubu commended the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for his efforts. He said “Everybody wants to be secure, and we need to invest more in technology. We will do it, I promise you. We will put our heart and soul into ensuring that Nigeria is secure and its citizens are protected.
“The AKK project, the dredging of the River Niger, and improving port access and infrastructure nationwide, in order to shorten travel time, will make us more prosperous as a nation. We have to fight insecurity so that people can make a decent living anywhere they live.”
Tinubu also addressed the economic development and livestock management. He said “Animal husbandry has been a huge problem for Nigeria. Dairy farms can grow our economy significantly.
“Talk to the Governors and tell them to make more land available. Talk to herders to collaborate with the States. The lands are with the States. We are ready to put funds in place to help the herders. We can do it, and we will be able to do it. If the Brazilians and the Dutch are doing it, we can also do it,” the President said.
He also appealed for national unity and continued support for his government as it solves decades-long challenges confronting the populace.
source: The Nation
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