Nigeria@ 54: Amosun blames FG over Chibok girls

From James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta

Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun has blamed the federal government for the continued holding hostage of over 200 Government Secondary School girls, Chibok, Borno State who were kidnapped by the dreaded Islamic sect; Boko Haram since April 15.

Amosun, who stated this on Wednesday, in his address to mark the 54th Independence anniversary of Nigeria as a nation said “if the powers that be have been earlier convinced that two hundred and twenty nine school (229) girls, representing the future of our country were actually abducted, those girls may likely be celebrating this anniversary with us in freedom and not in the hands of their Boko-Haram captors.”

He noted that though Nigeria as a nation is 54, saying that recent happenings in the nation’s polity has created fear for the future of the country pointing out that “in the North, we are faced with insurgency, in the South-South, militants continue to threaten oil production, which is the main stay of our economy.

While positing that Nigeria’s hope to become one of the twenty most developed economies in the world in the year 2020 could be said to be realistic and achievable, considering the fact that it is already one of the ten fastest growing economies in the world, Amosun noted that the truth is that this newly advertised growth has not reflected in the standard of living and the per capital income of the average Nigerian.

He added that a growing economy should be able to provide for the growth of not just the public sector and big industries, but also, the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

“This will go a long way in boosting provision of job opportunities; alleviating poverty; ensuring food security; stemming insecurity and criminal tendencies induced by hunger. We are still grappling with indexes of low income per head; high degree of illiteracy; maternal and infant mortality; low level of savings and investments and, a high dependency on importation of goods and services” Amosun affirmed.

The Ogun state helmsman clamoured for true federalism to even development of every part of the country.

On his part, former Ogun state governor, Gbenga Daniel, has called on Nigerians to continue to support the nation’s leaders in the task of achieving a common prosperity.

“Nigeria, he said can only work when the leadership as well as followership discharge their civic duties and responsibility to the State by remaining resolute and committed to the country’s national value”, Daniel said.

“All the challenges facing us as a nation are surmountable if we all put our differences behind us, come together and work for the progress of the country.”