Nigeria must cut down on govt spending – Gambari

…tasks FG on provision of infrastructure

Abuja – THE United Nations Under-Secretary and Special Envoy to Darfur, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, said yesterday that the Federal Government must find means to cut down on spending  and ensure provision of infrastructure in the country.

Gambari who fielded questions at the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, forum said that there was the need for rapid development of infrastructure in the country.

Gambari said: “We must find ways to really cut down on the expenses of government. If we are spending most of our resources paying salaries, paying the National Assembly, there would be less money available to put into infrastructure, capital projects, power, roads, railways that have been dead for a while now and investment in productive enterprises that will employ the masses of our young people.’’

Gambari admitted that while democracy was expensive, there was the need to invest in the future of the nation.

He said: “We recognise democracy is expensive; we recognise that it costs money to have a functioning National  Assembly,  an efficient civil service, efficient government but also we must have a balance between that and invest into the future  of our country.’’

Decries unemployment in Africa

He noted that unemployment was one of the triggers of crises in Africa and enjoined governments to ensure that employment of youths was tackled effectively.

He added that the delusion of: “It can’t happen here’’, was a mistaken idea saying “ it can happen anywhere, if we don’t attend to the fundamental needs of the people’’. “I pray it doesn’t but we must address it very seriously,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, Prof Gambari has also said that the Federal Government should be more proactive for Nigeria to attain the goals of Vision 20:2020.

Charges govt on Vision 20:2020

He said: “Vision 20: 2020 is a good blueprint; like all others the challenge is in the implementation to get us to where we should be. 2020 may seem a long way but it is not; you will recall when we used to talk about the millennium, it has come and gone,’’ he said.

Gambari added: “ One of the key MDG goals is to reduce by half those living below poverty line; now 2015 is around the corner, so I will suggest that we look at this blueprint and areas of improvement for our Vision 20:2020 targets.’’

He urged the government to harness the country’s abundant human and mineral resources as well as intellectual manpower to achieve the goals of the vision.

However, the UN Under Secretary General said: “The question is how to organise so that the reality will match the potentials; our people cannot eat potential but want to benefit from it.’’

Gambari also spoke on the implications of Nigeria succeeding in its bid to win a permanent UN Security Council seat.