From :Femi Oyelola in Kaduna
The Immediate past Speaker of Kaduna State House of Assembly, Hon. Yusuf Ibrahim Zailani, has told Northerners to stop blaming President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the current state of development in Northern Nigeria.
Hon. Zailani, who represents Igabi West Constituency in the State House of Assembly, stated this in Kaduna on Sunday when the President-General of Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF), Alhaji Yerima Shettima, paid him a condolence visit over the loss of his stepmother, Hajia Fatima Abdullahi (Guggu Ladi).
The former Speaker said that with the establishment of development commissions for the three geo-political zones that make up the Region, President Tinubu has, in his way, liberated the North from the cycle of poverty and underdevelopment.
He stated categorically that, with an annual budget of N750 billion to each of the North’s development commissions, totaling N2.250 trillion annually, the North has no business with poverty, unemployment, and underdevelopment.
According to him, “With what the President has done, through the establishment and funding of the North-East Development Commission, North-West Development Commission, and North-Central Development Commission, the North has no business complaining about poverty.
“With that N2.2 trillion annually, the North can solve its power problem because all we might need to solve the power problem is not more than N200 billion to get 100 megawatts of solar power.
“ We can also establish fertilizer blending plants and empower the National Agricultural Research Institute in Zaria to produce quality seeds and seedlings for the Region’s agricultural needs.
“With proper planning, implementation, and accountability of the funds released to the development commissions, in the next 10 years, we will look for development projects to do with money, we will not see.
“The problem, however, is that we keep blaming the President and Federal Government for our problems, but nobody is checking what the
Development Commissions are doing with the resources voted for them, but everyone is talking about what the Federal Government is doing of what it is not doing.
“We are here complaining about the Proposed Tax Reforms Bill, complaining that money will go to industrialized states like Lagos. Now that we have been settled with these development commissions, let us build our industries and collect the taxes.
“We should hold the development commissions accountable. If it is town hall meetings, let us call so that we know what they plan to do with our money; if they are not comfortable with their plans, we demand change,” he said.
Speaking on the developmental efforts of Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State, the former Speaker said he cannot turn his back on the Governor because he has brought several developmental projects to his constituency.
He said the Governor has also directed all 33 members of the State House of Assembly to identify areas where the state government will construct 20 kilometers of asphalt roads in each of the constituencies.
Earlier in his remarks, AYCF President Alhaji Yerima Shettima prayed for therapies of Hajia Fatima’s soul and prayed that Allah grant the Zailani family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
Reacting to the call of Hon Zailani, Yerima said AYCF will continue to hold leaders accountable, commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his developmental strides, especially in addressing the challenges of Northern Nigeria.
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