The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to give priority to power generation and job creation in his second tenure.
TBI Africa quoted IPAC National Chairman Peter Ameh gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.
Ameh also advised the new governors to work with the federal government to improve power supply, create jobs and bring in investors in the country.
“Government should concentrate on power generation because if you solve power problem, you would have solved over 60 per cent of the Nigeria’s problems.
“There are still people who run computer centres and some have other Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) that have closed up because of epileptic power supply.
“The new government should look at how we can unbundle power supply by not totally relying on national grid, so that states can generate power effectively.
“Local government and industries can do that as well.
“Look at what Dangote is doing. He is now generating independent power.
“These are some of the industrial revolutions that we need to be able to generate employment, reduce poverty and crime level in Nigeria.’’
Ameh said that when jobs are created, the economy would improve and the rate of criminality and other social vices would reduce.
“That is why you see that crime rate in countries such as Malaysia and Singapore are going down because of enabling environment created by government.
The IPAC national chairman also advised the newly inaugurated government both at national and state levels to offer good governance and revolutionalise the civil service.
Ameh said that such would also help to reduce corruption.
“If you are paying a worker N30,000 minimum wage and there is no housing scheme to accommodate him, no bus terminals, no intra state rail system like we have in the UK, where you can buy a ticket and use for one month, the N30000 will not take him home.
“So we must concentrate on housing scheme for civil servants. This will make them to be more dedicated to work.’’
Ameh said that the president and governors should know that they are holding their positions in trust for the Nigerians.
“You must do things without ill wills or favouritism. You must protect the interest of the people at all times without putting personal interest first.
“Listen to both friends and critics. One of the key ingredients of democracy is that opposition is created to put elected government on its toes. With their opinions, you have a better window of governance.
“We wish them well and we wish the president and the governors will run this nation as an indivisible nation by carrying everyone along.’’
Also speaking, Sheik Muhammad Nuru, Chief Imam, Apo Legislative Quarters Mosque, urged Buhari to give more attention to addressing insecurity in parts of the country.
“I advise him to be more concerned with security issue.
“He should not be deceived by the so call reports that he is receiving. He should take adequate action,’’ Nuru said.
He also advised new and returning governors to swing into action by implementing developmental programmes that will improve people’s living condition.
Contributing, Alhaji Umar Abubakar, the District Head Garki-Hausa advised elected officials to remember that one day they would give account of their stewardship.
“God has chosen you and the people from the grassroots have voted you into power, remember that one day you will give account before your creator.
“Try and have it at the bottom of your heart that you were elected to serve the country, not to serve yourself or for your country to serve you,’’ Abubakar said.
