By AbdurRaheem Sa’ad Dembo
The Vice President of Federal Republic of Nigeria , Kashim Shettima is known for his sincerity when it comes to National issues. He is not a pretender and not always economical with the truth.The economic reality in the country is not all that smooth and that’s why he said this period is a delicate period to govern Nigeria.
Men of great conscience should be at the corridors of power, because their words and efforts would rekindle the hope of the suffering masses. He didn’t only make the statement but also proffers solutions from the way he admonished the Governors during the 140th National Economic Council meeting, held virtually on Thursday ,21st March,2024
The statement was coming against the backdrop of the prevailing situation in the country, where he assured that the administration would not rest on its oars until the citizens begin to bask in the opportunities they were promised; noting that it is that reason the government is prioritizing skill acquisition and job creation.
Shettima specifically tasked Governors that prioritizing whatever offers Nigerians means to earn a living with dignity are part of president Tinubu’s eight-point agenda. According to him “We must remain consistent in implementing the initiatives that alleviate the suffering of of our citizens and be accountable in doing so.We must also ensure that interventions we deploy are non discriminatory and favour all stakeholders,with no part of our communities or nation left lagging”
He continued “When we empower entrepreneurs and small business owners,we unlock the potential for innovation, job creation, and economic growth. By providing access to financing, training,and mentorship programmes, we unleash the entrepreneurial spirit that lies within every Nigerian,catalysing a wave of economic prosperity that benefits us all.We cannot achieve this without inclusivity and equitable access to opportunities.This is the ladder we must offer to every disadvantaged citizens” the statement concluded
Interestingly, the Vice President said the government has “moved beyond mere deliberations to the implementation phase” and it is actively pursuing its short -term goals en route to achieving our medium -term and long -term strategies.”
To ascertain and confirm the sincerity of Shettima, the current number two citizens of the country disclosed that it is not the best of times to be in office.He urged the Governors and other Council members to remain constant in executing initiatives that will help wriggle the citizens out of their present condition. In his words ” This is a delicate period to occupy offices like ours.We cannot remind ourselves enough that we have come at a time that tests the depth of our leadership and demands our most national wisdom to make a difference.”
It is imperative to say that no matter the effort of president Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to get things done for the good of the country; without a corresponding commitment from the Governors, no appreciable impacts would be achieved. As subnationals , Governors must live above board by complementing the effort of Mr President, because he cannot do it alone. Success in governance can’t be accomplished with a one -man show approach, it is a collective effort and commitment that would give or pave way for success.
The era of waiting for Federal Government to do everything is fast fading away like the stars of the morning due to population growth, sophistication of the people’s wants and the quest by citizens’s demand for good governance.
They should not shy away from their responsibilities by coming up with a robust plan that would reduce hardship, moving away from the traditional way of sharing palliatives.It is a temporary measure to cushion hardship,but lacks the sustainable capacity to chase the monster away.
The Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago during the National Leadership Group Award in Abuja recently opined that he did not believe in sharing palliative. Certainly there can be better ways to making things better for the citizens.If you belong to the class of Governors who only pay salaries and share palliatives at this time, then you can’t accomplish much. You should have greater plans for the state just as the Vice President had enunciated it.
The recent news about our naira gaining strength against the dollar is a welcome development. The adversaries can now allow Mr President and Central Bank Governor to breathe. It is hopeful that such success will reflect on the reduction of prices of commodities in no distance time.
To our dearest Governors, let the admonition and sermon by the Vice President reflect in your policies and programmes
May Nigeria succeed.
abdurraheemsaaddembo@gmail.com
