Former Minister of State for Education, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, has called on the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Administration to focus its energies on restoring security in the country and diversifying the economy.
The ex-Minister, who made this call in a statement on Friday to commemorate Democracy Day celebration, extolled the late M.K.O. Abiola as a symbol of unity and democracy in Nigeria.
“The late Abiola was an employer of labour. He worked so hard from scratch to become a wealthy businessman with several investments in different sectors of the economy.
“The lesson Nigerians must take away from his life is to strive to unite and see themselves as one and their brother’s keeper,” Gbagi said.
He tasked the Federal Government on the need to address the spate of insecurity in several States of the country, as well as undertake a timely diversification of the nation’s economy through proper application of the US$5.513 billion loan request approved by the National Assembly.
“The Federal and State Governments have a huge task of building a nation that is currently lacking in some fronts. Adequate personnel and resources must be deployed if the country hopes to record successes against spate of insurgency, banditry and kidnapping across the country.
“On development of the economy, the Federal and State Governments should begin to look inward by partnering successful private investors towards changing the nation’s economic fortunes.
“The Government must act now on the diversification of the economy and ensure that the recent loan request approved by the National Assembly is properly channeled for the development of other critical sectors such as Agriculture, Solid Minerals and Mining, Transportation and other economic sectors that will increase Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product and revenue profile,” Gbagi said.
