The Immediate Past Speaker of Kaduna State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yusuf Ibrahim Zailani has said Northerners should stop blaming President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the current state of development in Northern Nigeria with the quantum of money voted for the development commissions in the North.
Hon. Zailani, who represents Igabi West Constituency in the Kaduna State House of Assembly, stated this on Sunday when the President-General of Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF), Alhaji Yerima Shettima, paid him a condolence visit over the loss of his stepmother, Hajia Fatima Abdullahi (Guggu Ladi).
The former Speaker said that President Tinubu has liberated the North from the cycle of poverty and underdevelopment by establishing development commissions for the region‘s three geopolitical zones.
He stated categorically that, with an annual budget of about N750 billion for each of the North’s development commissions, totalling N2.250 trillion annually, the North has no business with poverty, unemployment, and underdevelopment.
He states, “With what the President has done, through the establishment and funding of the North-East Development Commission, North-West Development Commission and North-Central Development Commission, the North has no business complaining about poverty.
“With that N2.2 trillion annually, the North can solve its power problem because all we might need to solve the power problem is not more than N200 billion to get 100 megawatts of solar power. We can also establish fertiliser-blending plants and empower the National Agricultural Research Institute in Zaria to produce quality seeds and seedlings for the Region’s agricultural needs.
“With proper planning, implementation, and accountability of the funds released to the development commissions, in the next 10 years, we will look for development projects to do with money, which we will not see.
“The problem, however, is that we keep blaming the President and Federal Government for our problems, but nobody is checking what the Development Commissions are doing with the resources voted for them, but everyone is talking about what the Federal Government is doing or what it is not doing.
“We are here complaining about the Proposed Tax Reforms Bill, complaining that money will go to industrialised states like Lagos. Now that we have settled with these development commissions let us build our industries and collect the taxes.
“We should hold the development commissions accountable. If it‘s town hall meetings, let us call so that we know what they plan to do with our money. If we are uncomfortable with their plans, we demand change,” he said.
Speaking on the developmental efforts of Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State, the former Speaker said he cannot turn his back on the Governor because he has brought several developmental projects to his constituency.
He said the Governor has also directed all 33 State House of Assembly members to identify areas where the state government will construct 20-kilometre asphalt roads in each constituency.
Earlier, in his condolence, AYCF President General Alhaji Shettima prayed for the late Hajia Fatima’s soul and prayed that Allah grants the Zailani family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
Reacting to the call of Hon Zailani, Yerima said AYCF will continue to hold leaders accountable, commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani for their developmental strides, especially in addressing the challenges of Northern Nigeria.
