Fayemi calls on stakeholders to support Buhari's effort to alleviate poverty

Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi, has called on all stakeholders to "support the current efforts of President Buhari’s administration to build an economy that seeks to lift one hundred million Nigerians out of poverty."

Fayemi who made the charge during his speech in Abuja on Thursday at the 17th edition of Daily Trust Dialogue about Twenty Years of Democracy in Nigeria took to Twitter to reveal some of the points that stakeholders should focus on.

He also revealed the need for Nigerians to come together to achieve a national transformation in various aspects.

Fayemi said, "I spoke extensively at the 17th edition of Daily Trust Dialogue about Twenty Years of Democracy in Nigeria. My speech included many highlights of the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities of our treatise and a longer term approach to governance."

"There is need for all stakeholders to support the current efforts of President Buhari’s administration to build an economy that seeks to lift one hundred million Nigerians out of poverty, based on local production which guarantees sustainable economic growth and realistic development," he added.

He continued by pointing out the need to include youths and women is the country's governance by saying that, "I spoke about governance at state and federal levels, youths and women inclusion in governance, social inclusion for all disadvantaged groups more importantly in politics, a courageous and most definitely an out-the-box approach to our peculiar democratic practice."

Fayemi, as opposed to the president, believes that Operation Amotekun is a good initiative. He said, "for example, the South West’s Amotekun vision is a logical end-product of President Buhari’s compelling vision on community policing and bottom-top approach to security sector governance across the country."

"We cannot continue to have a small elite bandying numbers that affords opportunities for property acquisition, opulent lifestyle & primitive greed, but which excludes the vast majority from beneficial participation. The issue is not simply poverty, but inexplicable inequality."

He continued, "this is why our Party – the All Progressives Congress (APC) – included “restructuring” in our manifesto in 2015 general elections, and we have been working towards it. With this, I believe the question of deepening democracy and enhancing development will be largely resolved.

"Nigeria cannot achieve this without an honest national conversation and the resolve by Nigerians to come together as one people sharing a common destiny. The fundamental restructuring of Nigeria will address key questions of political transformation.

"Such issues as the question of constitutional governance, the fundamental precepts or authorizing principles of national togetherness, citizenship and the nationality question, the political economy of federalism, security sector governance, human rights, social justice, minority rights, electoral system, type of government – parliamentary or presidential, will be addressed."

"We need to talk about population growth which continues to move in geometric terms in the face of tight economic growth."

"We need to seize opportunities that abound in our energetic youths by developing their capacity for skill acquisition rather than just knowledge acquisition. The jobs and opportunities of the future require more than rote learning and outdated curriculum for our young," Fayemi concluded.

See tweet below for reactions:

I spoke extensively at the 17th edition of Daily Trust Dialogue about Twenty Years of Democracy in Nigeria. My speech included many highlights of the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities of our treatise and a longer term approach to governance. /1

— Kayode Fayemi (@kfayemi) January 17, 2020