Nigeria is sitting on a time bomb, Ortom says

Following the World Bank report indicating that the country could be home to 87 million destitute, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has warned leaders to take the development of the nation very seriously.

Speaking at a delegation from Feed the Future Partnering for Innovation, which he hosted yesterday, he said Nigeria was sitting on a time bomb with its high poverty and unemployment levels.

He called on fellow leaders to save the country from descending into the position of the poorest nation in the world.

Refusing to ignore the World Bank report, he said:

"Other people may dismiss the World Bank report but for me as one who is interested in the development of my state and country, I want us to take that report very seriously.

“Instead of criticizing it, let's begin to reassess what we have done, where we have failed and what we can do to improve on the productive sector of the country because we are fast becoming the poorest country in the world which is dangerous.

”As leaders of this country let’s help our people improve themselves and not be home to over 87million destitute as predicated because we can see that happening already.

“With recent developments nobody is safe, I cannot go out without encountering those who feel that except they get something or handout from me they would not carry on, and this is not peculiar to Benue.”