By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.
Director general of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu has described the state of Nigeria as a structure facing imminent collapse and the caretakers unwilling to pull down for fear of complaints from tenants.
Issa-Onilu was speaking at a Townhall Meeting of Stakeholders cutting across all societal strata from faith based organisations to socio-political and economic groups in Kogi State on “Government Policies Programmes and Activities”, in Lokoja.
He said there was no gain saying that Nigeria and Nigerians are going through turbulent waters of economic hardship and difficulties arising from the present administration’s policies.
“We all acknowledge the fact that there’s a lot to do because the situation is not what it’s supposed to be. But we didn’t just get ourselves to this situation today.
“This is the outcome of all our past efforts or lack of efforts. We are in this situation today because we have not done the right thing in the past.
“The message I have brought to you from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is first and foremost to acknowledge that there is absolutely a job and that the citizens are not getting anything close to what they should get as citizens of this country”, he said.
Issa-Onilu came up with an illustration of a building, its tenants and the Caretaker saying, “When you have people living in a building as tenants and as a caretaker and the caretaker knows that the building is defective.
“And the tenants also are aware that the building require serious rehabilitation. But you continue to patch the cracks and continuously there are more cracks you continue to patch it. But everybody understands that one day this building may collapse.
“But the caretakers are afraid to bring the building down so that they can lay proper foundation and build a building that will be enduring and that will make people safe and secure and prosperous.
Because they know that the tenants will complain. Because during the period of demolishing the building and laying foundation, the tenants will be in the sun and in the rain and they will complain.
“But the alternative is to continue to manage the building and do minor repairs and finally the building will collapse on all of us. May the building not collapse on us”, he said.
The NOA Director General said that it was against this backdrop that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has decided not to be a caretaker that would be afraid of bringing that building down and laying solid foundation.
He said that the President summoned courage to pull down the structure to ensure that when the tenants move back into the building, then they would enjoy their lives better with assurance that the foundation is now sure, strong and enduring.
He urged the people to endure the period and process of staying in the sun and in the rain as the government solicits for sacrifice from the people.
On the Petroleum high pomp price, and the astronomical cost of things, the NOA Director-General said the high pump price was as a result of importation of the product but assured that it will crash in the next two to three months when local refineries begin production. (Ends)