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…As NIS holds 16th Annual Lecture
Funsho Akanbi
Former Director General Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation, Mrs Omotayo Omotosho has called on Nigerians to criticize President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration constructively in order to collectively address the myriad of challenges confronting the nation.
She also tasked Nigerians to speak up and ask questions from their leaders, saying they citizens deserve to know how the COVID-19 palliatives and stimulus packages approved by President Buhari was disbursed. She said it is the right of every Nigerian to know how and who benefitted from the financial assistance.
She spoke as the Guest Lecturer, at the 16th Annual Adekunle Kukoyi Memorial Lecture, organized by the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors, Lagos State Branch, saying constructive criticisms should be encouraged and not condemnation of the administration as a lot was being done by the current administration but unknown to many Nigerians.
Speaking while delivering her lecture titled “ Institutional Capacity For Accelerated Growth And Economic Development: Nigeria As A Case Study”, the former Director General said that Covid-19 pandemic has taken toll on the global economy has further weakened and forced the Nigerian economy into a recession with increase in loss of jobs and rising employment.
She said: “We must stop criticize constructively to criticize without suggesting how best things could be done is what is not good. We also need to ask questions. You don’t need to be a former DG or any political appointee before you ask questions. Nigerians need to know, who and who benefitted from the stimulus package of COVID-19. How was the money disbursed? Who got what and from where? Where was the money disbursed?”
Omotosho, however, highlighted some of the issues that must be speedily addressed in order to strengthen the nation’s capacity and resilience, saying that the population control and identity management must be taken seriously. She said the nation’s borders are porous and susceptible to influx of foreign immigrants who pose as citizens.
She also added that inadequate population data as a bane for development while emphasising the need to strengthen the data upgrade system within the National Population Commission and Bureau of Statistics for effective capturing of births and deaths
While advocating for a deduction of tariffs on imported vehicles to reduce the cost of transportation and its attendant consequence on the cost of food, goods and services, Omotosho added that Strengthening the Ministry of Humanitarian, Disaster Management and Social Development to effectively capture the unreached, vulnerable and marginalized.
On his part, Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyor, Lagos State Chapter, Surveyor Adeleke Adesina assured that members of the institution would continue to use their professional training to effect positive changes in building development, he said the Institution would prioritise capacity building of their members.
He also said that there was the need for the Federal Government to build capacity of various government institutions and agencies to allow them perform their constitutional responsibility optimally.He noted that since LGs are at the centre stage of grassroots development, there was the need for the Federal Government to allow the LGs enjoy full financial autonomy so as to build their capacity in grassroots development.
