The Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang, on Monday, lamented the economic hardship being faced by Nigerians and blamed the situation on the last administration led by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking during the swearing-in of 22 Special Advisers and heads of government agencies at the Government House in Jos, Mutfwang said Buhari left the country’s economy in terrible shape for his successor, President Bola Tinubu.
Mutfwang said, “We are at a very difficult juncture in the history of this country and I’m an advocate that after the election you forget politics and face governance.
“And even though the Federal Government is being led by a party other than my own, I owe you the duty to tell Nigerians the truth that this government inherited a worse situation than 1999.
“This government inherited an economy where we simply printed money up to the tune of N30tn and shared.
“This government inherited an economy where the crude oil we’re yet to take out of the ground had been sold in advance.
“So, when you’re talking about the fall of the naira, it’s not rocket science. We sold our future under the last administration.
“No wonder you’re hearing of riots today, people intercepting food on the way. We are lucky on the plateau that perhaps we have more food than many other states.
“And I pray that the time will not come on the Plateau that we will see this kind of riot for food, but it means we must roll up our sleeves and get to work.
“And that is why, for us as a government, when we announced one of the positions that talked about food security, people were laughing but it is a serious issue.”
The governor revealed his administration’s intention to establish a special agro-processing zone in partnership with the African Development Bank, worth $300 million, in the Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.
He urged the newly appointed officials to prepare themselves for the task ahead, emphasizing the importance of their efforts in reversing the current challenges for the benefit of the people.
The governor added, “And to tell you that some of the appointees, I don’t know them, but because we want to get things done, we’re looking for the right people.
“Some of them were just introduced to me barely a week or two before the appointment; but because we became persuaded that they have the requisite CV to fit into the position we are looking for, we took them on board.
“And we are confident that with their coming on board, they will add value to governance. So, the most critical part for all the advisers is that you must go and look for money.
“This is a serious matter. There’s no money to share. You must put on your thinking cap and help us where we can source for funds.
“Some of the funds will be used for investment and development so that we can generate wealth.
“Those of you in charge of the constituencies, take down whatever government is doing to your constituencies so that together we can move as a people.
“We have suffered enough distraction.
You know of the bloodshed on the Plateau. The time is now to say enough is enough.”
Efforts to reach the former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, were unsuccessful as he did not take calls to his mobile line as of press time.