Former Anambra State governorship aspirant, Chief Rommy Okoli (The Messenger) has called on duty bearers to be responsible and responsive.
The Elder statesman who said this in a press briefing in Awka to mark his birthday said that the level of hunger and starvation among Nigerians at the moment was worrisome.
He said that it was even more heartbreaking to see the duty bearers at various levels carrying on with an unprecedented level of insensitivity.
Chief Okoli noted that with effective management of the nation’s resources, that Nigerians ordinarily would not have any business with poverty which, according to him, has become the order of the day.
He appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the National Assembly to put machinery in motion to ensure that the nation’s refineries were functional again, noting that it was an aberration that Nigeria would continue to do things the same way and expect different results.
He also tasked the government to, with immediate effect, improve the security situation in the country.
“The high pump price of fuel is making it difficult for free movement of persons, goods and services and people cannot do their business effectively, farmers cannot go to farm for fear of being abducted, these are twin factors the government should work on immediately.
“All the levels of governance, the executive, legislature, judiciary and other critical stakeholders should collaborate to make Nigeria work. It is not enough for them to be living in affluence while majority of the populace are wallowing in poverty not out of laziness but due to a dysfunctional system,” he noted.
Chief Okoli, a former Chairman of Nnewi South LGA while commenting on the Supreme Court judgement granting financial autonomy to LGAs said that the judgment is a welcome development.
He noted that the financial autonomy would empower the local government areas to be effective.
“It’s a fact that the local government areas are the closest to the people, with the financial autonomy, it is expected that the government at council areas will become proactive and capable of taking care of the immediate needs of their people.
“Finally, I’m calling for peace in Nigeria. There is need for peaceful co-existence of all the ethnic nationalities in Nigeria which would engender and quicken development,”he concluded.
