PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has decried the number of out-of-school children in the North, describing it as unacceptable.
Tinubu, who received the leadership of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, also decried the poverty situation in the region, calling for collaboration to address the situation.
“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,” a statement by presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, quoted Tinubu as saying.
“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.”
The President used the opportunity to urge state governors to prioritise the needs of their local communities, saying the call was necessary to ensure accountability and effectiveness in the administration of local governments.
He asked the Arewa leaders to hold their governors accountable.
“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.”
