Tinubu blames governors for poor governance at grassroots
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has blamed poor delivery of democracy dividends at the grassroots on state governors, charging them to prioritize the needs of local communities.
Tinubu stated this when he received the leadership of the Arewa Consultative Forum(ACF) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday evening.
While noting the lack of attention for the grassroots, where he said the highest number of votes come from during elections, the President said the ACF leadership should intervene by imploring governors to urgently pay attention to the needs of people in the councils.
“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 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,” Tinubu was quoted in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngalale.
Highlighting the significance of education in nation-building, the President described the situation of out-of-school children in parts of Nigeria as unacceptable.
On security, President Tinubu commended the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for his efforts, saying: “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.”
Tinubu also used the occasion to appeal for national unity and continued support for his government as it makes efforts to address challenges confronting the citizens.