He stated this on Monday, when he received the Ooni of Ife,
Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, who was on a courtesy visit at the Government
House Benin City.
The Governor who identified insecurity and food challenges
as some of the biggest problems facing the nation, said Nigeria would not be
able to get sufficient foreign exchange, unless it cuts down on importation and
improve on production.
“The economy of our country is not doing well and we all
have a big role to play. Without us producing more for ourselves, we wouldn’t
be able to sustain our current level of imports.
“It means that we will not be able to get sufficient foreign
exchange to bring in what we consume. The exchange rate will begin to rise, the
price of commodities will continue to go up and our people will dive more into
poverty.
“In the first half of this year, we have spent N1 trillion
importing food and it’s not sustainable,” he said.
As a way out of the economic logjam, the governor called for
increased collaboration between government at all levels and the traditional
institution to tackle the problem of insecurity and other challenges
confronting the country.
“The traditional institution has a role to play, as we
encourage our people to farm and produce more foods to feed ourselves.
“If we must tackle the security challenges facing this
country, Government must work very closely with the traditional authorities who
are well-grounded in the grassroots and know the people well to bring to an end
the security challenges facing this country. We are already doing that in Edo
State and the results are there to show.
“Government cannot do it alone; we encourage our young
people to know that agriculture is a viable business in the country,” he added.
While commending the Ooni for his passion and commitment to
the unity and development of the country, Obaseki assured that his government
is fully committed to sustaining partnership with the traditional institution
in the state, noting that Edo is the home of culture and tradition.
“We embrace the traditional institution in Edo State as they
have a deep sense of understanding of the challenges and problems in our local
communities.
“Edo State is the home of culture and tradition and we don’t
joke with it. We hold our traditional institutions in high regard and will do
all to protect, sustain and support them,” he said.
Earlier, the Ooni of Ife congratulated the Obaseki on his
victory in the September 19, 2020 gubernatorial election, hailing his
government’s developmental strides across all sectors of the state.
Oba Ogunwusi assured the Governor that traditional rulers
would continue to work with constituted authorities to move the nation forward,
and advised him not to be distracted but to remain focused and double his
efforts in making life better for Edo people, particularly the youths.
0 comments:
Post a Comment