President Bola Tinubu has urged the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) to summon state governors for the nation’s development.

Tinubu also enjoined state governments to prioritise the needs of local communities by ensuring accountability and effectiveness in the administration of local governments.

The president said this at a meeting with the leadership of the ACF at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, May 30, 2024.

He said: “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?

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“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.”

Highlighting the significance of education in nation-building, Tinubu described the situation of out-of-school children in parts of Nigeria as unacceptable.

He added: “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 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.”

On security, President Tinubu commended the National Security Adviser (NSA), 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.”

Speaking, the leader of the delegation and Chairman of ACF Board of Trustees, Bashir Dalhatu, congratulated Tinubu on his first year in office and expressed the Forum’s appreciation for his achievements and service to the country.

The Star