Garaku (Nasarawa state)- The Abaga Toni of Toni Chiefdom in Nasarawa state, Dr Slyvester Ayih, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his efforts at reducing the cost of governance in the country.
Ayih gave the commendation on Sunday in his palace in Garaku while addressing a delegation of Hausa/Fulani community from Kokona local government area of the state who paid him a courtesy visit.
The first class traditional ruler called on youths to embrace different skills acquisition programmes in order to become self employment, reminding them that the era of depending on government white collar jobs had gone.
He said: “First and foremost, I want to thank you for the visit and to restate my commitment in promoting peace and unity among the people irrespective of ethnic, religious and political affiliation for the overall development of the country.
“Government is doing its best in providing job opportunities to the youths but government alone cannot provide employment opportunities and other basic needs for its citizens.
“That is why there is the need for all of us to help ourselves by embracing various skills acquisition programmes.
“Due to the present economic situation in the country, President Buhari is doing his best in reducing the cost of governance by slashing his salary and other entitlements and that of the Vice President; that is why I have commended him for the good gesture.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]
“Reduction in the country’s cost of governance has become imperative to enable him fix other problems such as poverty, unemployment, youth restiveness, among other problems affecting the country.”
According to him, if Nigerians, especially the youths, shun idleness, embrace skills acquisition programmes and engage in other meaningful ventures, it would go a long way in fighting not only unemployment but would also fight other social vices in the society.
Ayih also called on the members of the association and Nigerians not to relent in their efforts towards embracing skills acquisition programmes and engage in meaningful ventures in order to be self employed as well as to be employers of labour.
He decried how some Nigerians do not want to engage in meaningful ventures but want to depend solely on government for everything, adding that such attitude would not help themselves, their families and the entire country.
The royal father restated his council’s commitment to continue to initiate good programmes and policies that would promote peaceful co-existence among the people.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Malam Abdulkarim Abdullahi, said that the visit was to appreciate the traditional ruler’s efforts in promoting peace in the area and called on him to sustain the tempo.
Abdullahi, who is also the Executive Chairman of the state Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), appealed to the royal father to advise some of his district and village heads against partisanship in the interest of peace and national development.
He said: “We are also here to appeal to you to advise some of your district and village heads to settle land and other disputes within their domain with the fear of God and not to be partisan as they are the custodians of people, peace and culture.’’ (NAN)
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