Insecurity: Previous Governments didn’t do the needful – Lawmaker

By Tom Okpe

Member, representing Pankshin/Kanam/Kanke Federal Constituency of Plateau State, in the House of Representatives, Yusuf Gagdi said previous governments in the country did not do enough by laying a solid foundation, providing basic needs of the people, hence the rise and cause of insurgency in the country.

He said to solve the problem today in the country, federal government should provide basic needs of the people, to arrest idolness.

Gagdi also said the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari had no sound economic team in the first term, a development that led to decline in the nation’s economy.

According to the Plataeu State lawmaker, unless government provides the basic needs of the people, the problem of insecurity will not be solved in the nearest future, calling on the people to stop playing politics with issues of security and lives, properties of Nigerians.

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Gagdi who stated this while fielding questions from journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, said there were no trained economists in the economic team of President Buhari and that added adverse problem to the Nigerian economy.

He however, said there is no government that would have done better at the time the APC adminstration càme to power, stressing that the government should be expected to do a miracle, considering the global dwindling oil prices.

He said: “If we had led a solidified foundation, done things that have direct bearing to the common man, provided basic social amenities like education, good hospitals, access to affordable system of education and what have you, definitely you will not see people running on the streets that’ll tomorrow turn out to be Boko Haram or elements in the society that they are not supposed to be.

“So government in the first instance did not address the primary thing that the people ought to have benefited. Government has failed in the past whether you like it or not, I will say that without fear of political misrepresentation that the foundation was very poor. The issues of people was not a priority of government.

“If the issue of people we govern before this time have been the central attraction of any government, I’m telling you that issue of insecurity would not have been to the levels it is. Yes, even the advanced countries like America that have better education system, health care facility and what have you, they have problem of insecurity. It is international phenomenon but it is not at the level that ours is been witnessed.

“Until, and unless there is honesty and commitment on the part of political office holders and stakeholders, irrespective of tribe, region and political affiliation, do not hope that issue of insecurity is going to be addressed in the nearest future,” he stated.

“How much was the crude oil price prior to the coming of APC government. How has the past government been able to access money as a reult of sale of crude oil at the emergence of the APC government. The crude oil was over $140 per barrel prior to the coming of the APC administration.

“Compare it with the fast decline in the price of crude oil and Nigeria being a country that is absolutely dependent on the oil sector. Something that was sold up to $150 per barrel is now 20, 21, 22 dollars per barrel. You don’t expect that government to do miracle and perform, to be fair to the government.

He said the APC givernment has done very well compared to previous governments.

Gagdi said though National Assembly has financial autonomy, but it was facing problem of non or delayed releases of funds like Ministries, Departments and Agencies, lamenting the absence of autonomy for State Houses of Assembly.

“With State legislature, they messed themselves up. Until, and unless you give them this autonomy, when you allow Speakers to run to state Governors, cap in hand, begging for peanuts to travel for conferences and seminars, you do not expect democracy to function at the state level,” he added.