FG: Nigerians Should Blame Govs for High Poverty Level

* Says they prefer building flyovers, airports to combating hunger

Deji Elumoye in Abuja 

The federal government has laid the blame on the high level of poverty in the country on the doors of the state governors, who it said pay more attention to building flyovers and airports rather than improvement of life in the rural areas. 

Briefing newsmen Wednesday at the end of the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja, the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clement Agba, who made the assertion, declared that 72% of the poverty in Nigeria is found in the rural areas, which he said had been abandoned by governors.

According to him, the governors prefer to function in the state capitals, as the federal government on its part has done its best on poverty alleviation, adding that there is no reflection of the amount of investment that had been done in the area. 

He accused state governors of concentrating on building flyovers, airports and other projects that are visible in the state capitals rather than investing in areas that directly uplift the standard of life of the people in the rural areas.

Agba emphasised that while states are in charge of land for agriculture, they do not invest in them for the desired effect on their rural citizens.

He therefore advised the state chief executives to rather than concentrate on the building of sky scrappers, flyovers and bridges, they should focus of initiatives that can pull the majority of Nigerians out of poverty. 

Details later…