Governor of Plateau State and Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Simon Bako Lalong, has blamed high cost of governance for the poor standard of living among Nigerians and particularly, Northerners.
Making his position known in Kaduna on Saturday while delivering the 11th annual memorial lecture in honour of Sir Ahmadu Bello, Lalong noted that all tiers of government in Nigeria must immediately cut down on the high cost of governance and redirect their funds to critical areas of development that will address the challenges of Nigerians.
He observed that the high cost of governance has increased the inability of governments at all levels to meet the basic needs of the people.
Governor Lalong in a paper entitled “Reducing the Cost of Governance for Inclusive Growth and Youth Development in Post COVID-19 Northern Nigeria,’ believes that the high cost of governance has further increased the inability of governments at all levels to meet the basic needs of the people.
According to him, factors such as corruption, insecurity, large number of government appointees, high salaries, corruption, among others were among some of the factors that drive the high cost of governance in the country and must be addressed to change the trajectory of growth in Nigeria and the North in particular.
He explained that the Northern Governors Forum has seriously examined the economic situation in the region and is working in unison to address the high cost of governance and other obstacles to development.
In his remark, the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari, said the Federal Government has continued to implement various cut-cutting measures to reduce the cost of governance and free resources for development.
The Lecture, chaired by Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was attended by many dignitaries from across the country including: Governor Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State, Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State and AbdulRahman AbdulRazak of Kwara State, the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari; former Governor of Kano, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Garbai Ibn El-Kenemi; Kaduna State Deputy Governor, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe; ACF Chairman, Chief Audu Ogbe, among others.
