- By Halimah Olamide
-As 63 Year Old Graduands Tells Governors to Stop Stashing Stolen Funds in Foreign Accounts
An attempt by the Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, to use the graduation ceremony of Babcock University, Ilisan to preach against the proposed nationwide protests against hunger and alleged bad governance backfired at the weekend.
The governor who had mounted the podium to address graduating students had said protests must be rejected.
He called for dialogue while he also used the platform to list achievements of the current administration at the centre and his state.
He said, “I seize this opportunity to appeal to our youths to constructively engage with the government in finding lasting solutions to Nigeria’s problems, rather than engaging in protest that may start peacefully but usually get hijacked and may lead to anarchy.
“What have we ever gained from protests, except losses in productivity? Loss of lives, loss of private and government properties, looting and vandalisation of assets,” he said.
He defended the administration’s decisions, such as removing subsidies and floating the Naira, as necessary to address the economic crisis.
“This government has only been in office for one year. Cutting the head is not the solution to a headache.
“Inflation is worldwide. Our president, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had very few choices when he assumed office. He had to take the bull by the horns; he had to remove the subsidy. He had to float the Naira. Otherwise, it would have been worse, trust me,” he said.
The governor said the current economic challenges, including inflation, but emphasized that these issues are global and not peculiar to Nigeria.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this administration has initiated a lot of interventions to cushion the effect of the inflation. Recently, we’ve heard the announcement of the minimum wage. We’ve had a lot of empowerment. Student loans are being put in place. Agric and fertilizer inputs are being given to our farmers. They have provided Food items as palliatives and subsidised prices, amongst others.
“This current wave of inflation is biting everywhere. It is in the UK, US, Ghana, and Egypt. So, it is not peculiar to Nigeria alone.
“Which investor will be attracted to a nation that is under siege by protesters? Please, do not allow yourselves to be used by a so-called leaderless movement, sponsored by frustrated politicians who tried in the past and lost. We do not need protests. We must not gamble with our anarchy. Please Let us dialogue,” he said.
However while the governor’s speech met with cold response from the large audience, the next speaker who was the president of the graduating students, used the opportunity to tell governors in the country to show sense of responsibility in the discharge of their duties.
He said he was happy that at least, two of the governors were present at the event asking them to realise that people who voted them into offices are the masters and not the other way round.
He told the audience that governors and other elected office holders are known to be stealing public funds and stashing them away in foreign accounts.
“I am very happy that two of our governors are here. This country is always shouting the name of the president when they are in need. Nobody is talking about our governors.
“We must please query our governors, query our chairmen, we must ask questions. We voted for them, they are responsible to us and please don’t stand on the sideline, be a true Nigerian.
“When you elect someone to serve you, that person is not your leader, that person is supposed to be your servant. To make this country great, I plead with us, touch lives.”
His speech, compared with that of the Ogun Governor, drew huge applause from the audience who rose up in standing ovation.