Create Cottage Industries, Not ₦5,000 Palliative, Ex-Govs Tell Tinubu
Create Cottage Industries, Not ₦5,000 Palliative, Ex-Govs Tell Tinubu
They also told the President to tackle security challenges in the country as one of the ways of ensuring development in Nigeria.
President Bola Tinubu has been advised to create cottage industries in all the local government areas of the federation so as to create jobs for the people, rather than give ₦5,000 palliatives that can barely sustain the poor.
The advice was given by the Class of 1999 governors after a closed-door meeting on Friday, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
They also told the President to tackle security challenges in the country as one of the ways of ensuring development in Nigeria.
The Class of ’99 governors are colleagues of President Tinubu, who served from 1999 to 2007, when he was the governor of Lagos State.
Chairman of the Class of ’99 governors and former governor of Edo State, Lucky Igbinedion, noted that people in rural areas were bearing the brunt of the harsh economic situation in the country, advising the President to intervene.
On their assessment of the President’s efforts and what they wanted him to specifically address, he said, “Well, the first and foremost thing is security, because we told him that without security, there can be no progress, there can be no stability.
“And secondly, the economy, of course, needs to be stabilised by ensuring the foreign exchange remains stable and people can afford it. But what is most important is: let’s create industries, especially cottage industries, that can employ people, rather than just giving out palliatives.”
“We implored him to try as much as possible to create cottage industries in all the local governments of the federation where people can be employed, because if you give palliative to somebody today, what happens tomorrow? If he has ₦5,000 in the morning, how about lunchtime or dinner time? What is he going to do?
“₦5,000 cannot buy much. So I thought these were part of the really heart-to-heart discu
