By John Joseph
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President Bola Tinubu has stressed the vital importance of state governors in propelling Nigeria’s growth and prosperity. During a New Year homage by Vice President Kashim Shettima and members of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) at his Ikoyi residence, President Tinubu acknowledged the governors’ pivotal role in achieving food security, economic prosperity, and rapid national growth.
The President expressed his gratitude for the governors’ support and collaboration while highlighting key areas requiring joint effort for the nation’s progress. “You are the most important link to Nigeria’s prosperity and development. The Federal Government accounts for about 30 to 35 per cent of the allocated revenue; the rest comes to you. The agricultural value chain depends on you. You own the land, and the job is in your hands,” he said.
President Tinubu called for stronger collaboration between the federal and state governments to address pressing challenges, including local government autonomy, agricultural productivity, and currency stability. He emphasized his commitment to local government development and autonomy, stressing its importance for grassroots development and dispelling rumors of disagreement with the governors.
“We will not fight within us. I will drive the change. You control your local governments. You can restore hope by effectively fulfilling what the people expect at the grassroots level. There were gossips that we had disagreements on local government autonomy. No. Just drive development at the local government. Nobody wants to take them away from you, but we need collaboration. Let’s do it together and ensure Nigeria is better off for it,” President Tinubu said.
The President urged governors to prioritize agricultural growth as a pathway to economic stability. “We have to work harder, grow more, and ensure the situation of our currency improves. Nigeria will see prosperity, but it requires consistent effort from all of us,” he said.
He also commended the governors for their progress across the states, acknowledging that there is no state that cannot be visited and be proud of its development. “We have better allocations now. Let me take the abuse; you take the privileges. Together, we will build a nation we are all proud of,” President Tinubu said.
Reflecting on his leadership journey in the last 19 months, the President expressed confidence in Nigeria’s capacity to thrive given the resilience and leadership demonstrated by the administration. “I am glad I asked for this job, and Nigerians gave me the mandate. We’ll be on this voyage together. I thank all of you for where we are today and where we are heading,” he said.
Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum and Governor of Kwara State, Abdulrahman Abdulrazak, praised President Tinubu’s leadership, describing ThisDay’s decision to name him ‘Man of the Year’ for 2024 as a significant endorsement of the administration’s policies. “The policies are working. In agriculture, I was in Jigawa. The complaint in Jigawa was that there was a bumper harvest, but because of the strength of our currency, traders exported the harvest,” he said.
Governor Abdulrazak assured the President of the steadfast support of the governors, particularly in contributing to local security architecture to further enhance the nation’s security. “I must confess that I have not done two years in this administration, but I’ve done more projects in two years than in the four years of my first term. We are getting more funding due to the restructuring of the economy. Yes, there is inflation, but we are overriding it,” the governor stated.
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