Group cautions against handouts for councils, urges self-reliance

The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has called for on the 774 local governments in Nigeria to be self-reliant, centres of industrial production, and not receivers of unsustainable Federal Government handouts.

It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari approved the recruitment of 774,000 Nigerians (1,000 per local government area) on Special Public Works programme to cushion the effect of COVID-19 pandemic.

CHRICED stated that it has studied Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed’s speech in which she outlined government’s fiscal response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Its Executive Director, Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, said, “While this step might be an emergency measure aimed at putting money in people’s pockets, it falls short of a strategic, clear-headed and sustainable intervention needed to turn the crisis into an opportunity to diversify the nation’s economy.

“With N600b set aside for the programme, Nigeria leveraging on the energy, creativity and ingenuity of its people, could start the journey towards industrial revolution targeting key areas of comparative advantage in the 774 councils.