Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the Nigeria of everyone’s dream is realisable through active collaboration with the Bola Tinubu administration as it works to fulfill its campaign promises.
Shettima spoke at the 63rd Independence Day anniversary public lecture, with the theme: Actualising the Vision of Renewed Hope for Socioeconomic Development through Effective Leadership, yesterday in Abuja.
Top government officials at the event included the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila and Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF), Dr. Folashade Esan.
The ministers were: Mohammed Idris (Information), Prof. Joseph Utsev (Water Resources and Sanitation), Nyesom Wike (Federal capital Territory), Alhaji Atiku Bagudu (Budget and Economic Planning), Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar (Foreign Affairs), Mr. Dele Alake (Solid Minerals Development), Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam (Police Affairs), Mr. Shuaibu Audu (Steel Development), and Sa’idu Alkali (Transportation).
The Vice President, who noted that in the last 63 years of the nation’s existence, the driving force of the people had been the realisation that achieving the collective dream and surmounting challenges required sacrifices from all citizens, especially the leadership.
“…The future of a great nation is not determined by the occurrence of their socioeconomic challenge. The future of every nation rests on the intention, sincerity and innovative ideas of its leaders and their commitment to implementing them.
“This is why President Bola Tinubu’s Eight-Point Agenda remains an oasis in a scorching sun. We cannot renew the hope of the nation unless we deliver on our promise to drive food security and eradicate poverty.
“We cannot foster economic growth and nurture job creation unless we facilitate access to capital, enhance national security and optimise the business environment for our enterprises.
“We are going to uphold the rule of law and fight corruption to design the Nigeria of our dream. We can’t achieve any of these unless each citizen remains a strategic partner in pursuit of our ultimate national interests.
“At 63, we recognise that what has sustained us and propelled us forward is our collective belief that overcoming the challenges we have inherited necessitates sacrifices, especially from us, the leaders,” Shettima said.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Ajume, explained that the theme of the anniversary lecture was intended to shed more light on critical areas of Nigeria’s socioeconomic potentials that could be explored and developed through policies and programmes enunciated by the Tinubu-led administration.
Also, House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas said Nigeria’s fight against corruption will continue to be a mirage until government gives the workers a living wage.
Abbas said this at the 63rd Independence Day anniversary public lecture in Abuja.
The Speaker, who represented the Legislative arm of government at the occasion, noted that with piling bills to settle and the earning being inadequate to meet the needs, Nigerian workers might find it difficult to resist corrupt practices.
“…One thing I must also have to emphasise concerning all their contributions is an area that previous administrations have not taken serious and that is the issue of living wage and the fight on corruption.”
“The discussants have spoken, may be slightly on one issue. That issue is the issue of coming up with a living wage. It’s the foundation of a corruption-free society.
“If a worker is paid well; if he is paid enough to afford his basic needs; it will help to eliminate corruption in a significant way. This is because he doesn’t need to steal to be able to feed his family. He doesn’t need to steal to be able to pay his rent. He doesn’t have to steal to take his children to school.
“Today, in the Nigerian project, this is what is completely absent, particularly when we look at the socioeconomic realities of today. With the hyper-inflation, the level of our wage, I don’t see how any Nigerian can work in a transparent and an effective manner,” he said.
