by Tosin Adesina

Governor Aminu Tambuwal has decided to spend the sum of seven hundred million Naira to purchase a new palace for the Sultan in Abuja. But there are more important issues he can use such resources for.

The poverty level in Sokoto is unrivalled by no other state in the country and it cuts across both religious and ethnic divide in Sokoto. Tambuwal would do well to spend such money in building skill acquisition centres that will train youth and unemployed women in crafts free of charge. The beneficiaries of such training will later go on to train others after they’ve established their own business. With that top-bottom approach, the poverty level in the state will reduce drastically from the current 81.2% it’s hovering at.

In eradicating illiteracy, the seven hundred million Naira will come handy in building new schools, renovating and equipping the existing ones and building schools for the elderly. It’s a good thing Sokoto doesn’t owe its teachers, because if it did, part of the money will be used to organize training for the teachers in other to increase their effectiveness and service delivery. When illiteracy is fought to a stand still it will have a resultant effect on poverty eradication and improve the economic status of the state.

Seven hundred million Naira will also help in building about seventy primary health care centres at the rate of ten million naira each. These primary health care centres will provide health at the grassroots and also help in confronting the challenge being posed by Polio and other epidemics that might affect the residents of the area it’s situated. More so it will help in reducing maternal mortality.

Seven hundred million Naira will also go a long way in improving the state’s mechanised agricultural development. This will help Sokoto in establishing new farm settlements at the grassroots to increase food production capacity of the state which will be enough for export and will herein after serve as a source of foreign revenues for the state. The state can also use the money to provide subsidised fertilizers and agricultural input for the farmers. At the end of it all the state will achieve food sufficiency, earn foreign exchange through exportation and create jobs at the same time.

Can Tambuwal focus his attention on things that will help the poor and downtrodden in Sokoto?

Editor