By Peter Okutu

The member representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Hon Comrade Chinedu Ogah, OON, has made clear that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was not the problem of Nigeria, not minding the ongoing protests in some parts of the Country.

Ogah who pointed out that some selfish politicians, greedy Civil servants, misguided youths, I-dont-care Parents and purposeless hotel owners were the key problems of the Country, praised President Tinubu for his achievements so far, especially in ensuring financial autonomy for Local Government Areas in the Country.

He called on Politicians and representatives of the people at all levels of governance, to look inward by empowering their Constituents in the area of Agriculture, in order to boost food supply and sufficiency in Nigeria.

“The problem of Nigeria includes our parents, Civil Servants, unemployed youths, who have neglected the culture of hardwork and integrity and have taken up “yahoo yahoo” as their core business in life.

“Hotel owners are the problem of Nigeria. I mean, Hotel owners that allow their hotels to be used for ritual purposes and also allow under-aged youths to stay in their hotel for six months and all they are doing is all about how to get money illegitimately.

“Civil Servants are also destroying Nigeria. These categories of Nigerians own luxurious properties in choice locations in Abuja and Lagos.

“They got their properties through looting of public funds. They are the problem of Nigeria. Some politicians that couldn’t step down empowerment packages given to them by the Federal Government to their Constituencies and Wards are also the problems of Nigeria not Tinubu.”

Disclosing this in a statement, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Reformatory Institutions who explained that different categories of Ebonyi people were being carried along in Ebonyi State Government’s scheme of things, enjoined Governors to visit Ebonyi, so as to learn from Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru’s style of leadership and governance.

“I want to call on other Governors to come to Ebonyi and get a model of governance. In Ebonyi, youths, women, the elderly and even non-indigenes are carried along in government’s scheme of things.

“What we see in Ebonyi is the government by the people and for the people under the competent leadership of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru.

“A situation whereby some people are in government and they cannot rehabilitate a common primary school in their area and they are busy blaming Tinubu is unacceptable. Are we blaming Tinubu that used the Court to secure Local Government autonomy for the 774 LGAs in the Country?”

He warned Nigerians and those at the corridors of power to stop blaming President Tinubu for the challenges facing the nation and advised Protesters to shun the destruction of properties across the country and the valuable legacies of the forefathers of the Nigeria.

“Are we now blaming President Tinubu, who has given hope to the hopeless? Has anybody investigated what is going on in NNPC? Is it Tinubu that is causing it? Are we to blame Tinubu for what is happening with the Power Holding Company of Nigeria?

“Has anybody blamed Contractors that are given jobs to do on behalf of this Country and they fail to do them or even mobilize to site? Governors should be sincere with those that elected them. They should come to Ebonyi and learn what governance and leadership are all about.

“For those protesting, I want to tell them that, what they are doing is not the right way, because we want set ourselves backward again. Let each village Chairman or head, Councillors and Local Government Chairman be creative to make sure that youths in their areas have something they are doing in their area of interest and specialisation as government jobs cannot accommodate everybody.

“Most of the people coming on air or television to criticize government, if they are given money for their Association, they cannot render creditable account to their Association? We have evidence of such people. And some of them will go to television stations to talk against a government that is dong its best to better the lives of Nigerians.

“Does the fuel subsidy benefit every Nigerian? Greater number of Nigerians do not use motorcycles, Keke or vehicles in their daily activities. What I want Mr. President to do, is to make sure that his Social Investment Programmes get to the grassroots, where we have larger number of Nigerians.

“Those in the grassroot do not have BVN, NIN, I registered for NIN 15 years ago, but I have not collected my NIM ID card. All the Directors in various Agencies are to be blamed not Tinubu.”

He urged the leaders of the Country to encourage youths to go back to Agriculture as government jobs can no longer meet the demands of the generality of Nigerians.

He charged Parents to have a full grip on their children as untrained and ill-cultured children were equally part of the problems facing the Country.

“How many Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria have gone to their various States to carry out intervention programmes on behalf of their people? This is the problem of the Country and so, we should go back to Agriculture.

“We should go back to our culture, customs and traditions and place restrictions on some of our ladies, who go about naked, thereby paving way for moral decadence to prevail in our Society. And this is the problem as their parents are in different places, clapping for them.

“The Protesters are out there destroying the legacies of our fore-fathers in the name of protest. Nigeria is blessed with lots of endowments. None of those youths destroying properties in Kaduna, Kano and Yobe have learnt any craft that will help them in life.

“They are majorly independent beggars and if we can look inward, we can engage them in farming, put them in different Agricultural Cooperatives in their Constituencies and Wards. Let’s engage them with  the Town Unions and Community leaders manning the programme. This will ultimately lead to surplus of food in Nigeria.

‘Distribution of rice is not the only way to solve the hunger problem in the Country, rather the fertile lands we have as a nation should be used for agricultural purposes, in order to guarantee food security for our nation and equally, there’s the need for people and government in Nigeria to learn from the government of Ebonyi State.

“Each village head in this Country should be able to ask their honourable member, representing them both at the National Assembly and House of Assembly what their achievements are. They should ask their Councillors, LG Chairman what their achievements are. Ask their Governor what his achievements are.

“The Governor of Ebonyi State is unique in his style of leadership as he has shown his achievements and the plans he has put in place for a better Ebonyi State. Ebonyi State is a reference point for good governance in Nigeria.”