Vice President Kashim Shettima has denied allegations that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has neglected the Northern region, according to Vanguardq. Shettima emphasized that the North is not associated with poverty because God has blessed it with an abundance of resources.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
These comments were made by Shettima during an interview with Radio France RFI Hausa Service.
Commenting on the Protest, he said “In my opinion, we reside in a society that upholds democracy, granting its citizens the right to voice their worries, albeit peacefully.
Our primary focus is to steer clear of politicians with harmful motives and troublemakers who seek to cause turmoil and unrest. Unfortunately, this is precisely what we have been striving to prevent, but regrettably, it has happened nonetheless.
“Nevertheless, the President is a proficient politician who is dedicated to safeguarding the rights of all individuals. Regrettably, the incidents that occurred were deeply unfortunate and caused unease for both the society and the Government in the way they unfolded.”
In relation to the problems affecting the Northern region and whether the Government has any intentions to tackle them, the Vice President stated that the Government sincerely intends to support the people residing in the North.
“We have established a foundation dedicated to supporting agriculture, with a budget of 100 billion. Our objective is to provide aid to 500 million farmers. It is widely known that the majority of farmers are located in the Northern region. Furthermore, the President’s creation of the Ministry of Livestock showcases our commitment to the well-being of our people, as the majority of livestock herders are also found in the North. To tackle the high cost of living and expensive food items, we have utilized around 42,000 tons of food from the government’s reserves. Our goal is to alleviate the suffering of our people and improve their living conditions.
“Government employees are informed about the increase in the minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000. Moreover, I want to emphasize to our citizens that the President has positive intentions and has been praising them. By the will of Allah, any necessary measures will be taken to assist them. We acknowledge that they are facing difficulties and express our sympathy towards them.”
Alhaji Kashim Shettima acknowledged that the individuals affected by the removal of the oil subsidy were not strangers, but rather our acquaintances, neighbors, and even politicians.
“I swear, I swear, I swear, we understand the difficulties they are facing. However, what is currently happening is a result of the mistakes made in the past 63 years, and we have only been in power for one year. In the practice of governing, it is not appropriate to solely blame those who came before us. Regardless of whether the past was good or bad, we are the present leaders and it is our responsibility to take action and assist our people. We will do so, God willing.
“If the truth shall be told, out of 46 Ministers,24 are from the North. Since we’ve gotten our independence till date, go and investigate, there was never a government where huge government parastatals, from Defense to agriculture, Education, and health were the North in need, who is manning these sectors? Look at the Ministry of Defence, Minister Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar is not from Badagry. He is from Babura in Jigawa. The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle Maradun is not from Mushin.He is an indigene of Maradun in Zamfara.”
“Can you tell me the name of the Minister of Agriculture? It’s Abubakar Kyari. He is not from Ekiti, but rather from Mobbar in Northern Borno. And what about the Minister of State, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi? He is from Borgu. Therefore, some of these accusations are unfounded. The Minister of Education is not from Akoko either. Tahir Mamman is from Adamawa. And the Minister of State, Dr. Yusuf Sunono, is from Yauri, not Yewa. So, where does this allegation originate from?”CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
