Owokoniran Answers Remi Tinubu On Akara, Kulikuli Grant: Youth, Women Need Enabling Environment To Thrive And Grow In The Economy, Don’t Want Meaningless Handouts
The National Vice Chairman (South-West) of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Hon. Rahman Owokoniran, has called on First Lady Oluremi Tinubu to use the influence of her office to champion policies that could genuinely improve the quality of life for Nigerians rather than condemning citizens to the low-life poverty of paltry cash handouts for petty trading in Akara, Boli and Kulikuli.
Owokoniran spoke in a statement issued in Lagos on Wednesday.
He wondered: “Why should the First Lady subject Nigerians to such ridicule with the nation’s potential as an oil-rich nation, talk more of its enormous mineral wealth and assets in human capital. Mrs. Tinubu could be better engaged in other sectors like Public Relations and education given her exposure in the two areas. How can a nation with the number of private-owned jets declare bankruptcy?”
According to Owokoniran, creativity and social responsibility remained the keys to unlocking Nigerian citizens from the cycle of inequality and oppression.
He said: “The people being asked to bear the burden are not responsible for the spiralling national debt. Therefore they should be prepared by the government for the future to ensure that they identify with the values of the country.
“Every honest means of livelihood deserves respect. It is unacceptable that in a nation blessed with abundant human and natural resources, millions of young Nigerians are being relegated to poverty instead of encouraging vocational training, social skills and educating them to improve their likelihood. The goal of government is to guarantee a better future for generations yet unborn to become more productive and better educated citizens.
“The government must be mindful of the need to improve the quality of lives in our communities and ensure that we are sufficiently innovative to create industrialists, entrepreneurs, professionals and other businesses that provide value and services to produce multitude of employers of labour.
“Our women and youths deserve quality education, decent jobs, affordable healthcare, thriving industries, modern agriculture, access to finance, and an economy that rewards hard work and prosperity.
“No doubt, the First Lady is a straight shooter, she took the time to tell Nigerian youth and women how much her office has given to them in the past either for low-income trades for a start or vehicles for the ruling party’s women leaders. She indicated that she has always been good sharing palliatives to members of her party and still ready to give more to the willing horses.”
However, the ADC Vice Chairman Owokoniran said that the First Lady should have invested the billions on similar investments for the commoners across the country.
He added: “But she may have to revisit her intervention programmes reportedly carried out through her office, including getting verifiable information on the beneficiaries, implementation process, measurable outcomes, and the impact of funds reportedly committed to healthcare, nutrition, education, and social welfare.”
He urged the First Lady to visit public tertiary institutions and interact directly with students and graduates to better understand the impact of her office’s involvement in education and other vocational activities, including Akara, Boli and Kulikuli making, saying this would be her best way to be better informed of the cries of the significant proportion of young, women and older people inflicted with unparalleled hunger and suffering since her husband took office.
“Beyond the rising cost of education and inadequate learning facilities, thousands of Nigerian graduates are forced to endure unnecessary delays in the processing and issuance of their academic results and certificates after completing their studies. Even after graduation, many suffer inexplicable delays of up to a year before they are mobilised for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC),” Owokoniran said.
“These avoidable delays deny young Nigerians employment opportunities, career progression, and financial independence at a critical stage of their lives.”
He maintained that these were the real issues deserving urgent national attention if the government truly intended to renew hope among the younger generation.
Owokoniran further offered: “The true measure of the Renewed Hope Agenda is not in speeches slogans but in tangible improvements in the daily lives of Nigerians. When families can afford food, graduates can receive their certificates without delay, students can be mobiliaed promptly for national service, businesses can flourish, insecurity is drastically reduced, and citizens can genuinely look to the future with confidence, only then can Nigerians truly say that hope has been renewed.”
He stated that Nigerians were hardworking and resilient, attributes he said leaders should not exploit to make poor policy decisions.
Owokoniran said: “The Nigerian people are not asking for palliatives or handouts from government strategists. They are asking for visionary leadership, responsible economic policies, transparency, accountability and opportunities for every citizen to succeed.
“This country possesses the resources and skills to achieve greater heights, but the nation requires the leadership that is capable of delivering a sustainable economic recovery and prosperity to the country and the people.”
