Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house of representatives, says the current state of insecurity in the country has made Nigeria uninhabitable for citizens and unattractive to investors.
Speaking on Saturday at the public presentation of the updated legislative agenda of the house of representatives tagged ‘our contract with Nigerians’, Gbajabiamila said the war against insurgents has contributed to the many difficulties the country faces.
“Before now, the extent of our difficulties was well known to us. We have population growth that far outpaces the rate of economic growth. Insecurity has made vast swathes of our country uninhabitable for citizens and unattractive to investment,” he said.
“We are at war, fighting insurgents in the North-east who want to remake our world in the image of a medieval theocracy. Our education system is producing graduates who cannot compete in the 21st-century knowledge economy.”
The speaker also said the updated legislative agenda highlights new strategies with which the house plans to help Nigerians deal with the new realities imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This updated legislative agenda and the implementation plan which we have tagged ‘our contract with Nigerians’ sets out the new priorities of this 9th house of representatives and commits us to a plan of action over the next year, and for the rest of our tenure,” Gbajabiamila said.
“We have called this document a contract because that is what it is; a written account of what we owe the people and how we intend to meet our obligations within the shortest possible time.
“These documents represent our intention to be held accountable based on what we have freely committed to achieving, and which I am confident we will realize to the glory of God and the edification of our people.
“Our gathering here today is first to present this document to the public. More importantly, this gathering is intended as a convenient space for us to have frank conversations about how we will go about achieving the objectives we have set out in ‘Our Contract with Nigerians’. This is an opportunity to empower ourselves with the confidence to dare and the skills to deliver.
“I encourage all of us to use the time here today to learn from the speakers and each other, exchange ideas and develop individual roadmap that would guide our interactions as we work together to deliver a House of Representatives that meets the highest expectations of its citizens.”