*Says he won’t hesitate to sack non-performing ministers
President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, met with the leadership of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), at the State House, Abuja, during which he said the growing out-of-school children in the northern part of the country was not acceptable.
Tinubu, who commended the National Security Adviser (NSA) on the improving security situation in the country, also appealed to state governments to prioritise the needs of local communities by ensuring accountability and effectiveness in the local government administrations.
In a release by his Media Adviser, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu said he would not hesitate to sack any of his ministers that is performing below expectations.
Highlighting the significance of education in nation building, the president described the situation of out-of-school children in parts of Nigeria as unacceptable.
He said: “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. We will collaborate with you on this intensively.
“We are still building Nigeria, and I am glad that you have emphasised 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.”
The president, who commended Ribadu, for his efforts on security, 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.
“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.”
Tinubu also addressed economic development and livestock management, stating that, “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 stated.