Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintri, Thursday lamented the precarious state of human development in the state, with a plea for urgent federal government intervention.
Fintri, speaking with State House Correspondents after meeting with President Muhammmadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, said government must provide employment for the teeming youths to cub restiveness
Adamawa is listed amongst the areas with the highest rates of restiveness and drug abuse which made them easily susceptible to manipulation by insurgents
According to him, “ youths must be fully emancipated and employed so that we don’t have the youth restiveness that we had that culminated into the Boko Haram.
“When I became Governor of Adamawa, I met a serious challenge of youth in criminality which was nick named “ASILA” and today they are no more. So these are serious areas of concern and I have given it a serious attention and it’s working well”.
He stated that through help from traditional institutions, Kidnapping reduced drastically so that “you hardly hear people being kidnapped again in Adamawa this is as a result of the collaboration we have with the traditional rulers, the security agencies and the support we have been giving them to ensure that they curb the menace of the criminality and criminals in the state”
“We really need a lot of support in agriculture, human development like I have said among the youths
Speaking on infrastructure, he disclosed that President Buhari he has awarded contracts for construction of major federal roads in the state
He however pleaded with the federal government to award contracts for construction of some of the roads that are giving serious concern and challenges to the state
He declared the state has put the outcome of the last general elections behind, adding that “we are now talking about governance”
“have come to see Mr President and if you see from the cream of the personalities that we came with, they cut across party lines and ethnic nationalities.
“We look at ourselves first as Adamawa and secondly, the problem that concern us and we have come to where it would be solved. By God’s Grace we have made our cry loud and it would be solved by Mr. President.”
President Buhari however assured the Adamawa leaders that Adamawa remains a “home away from home” to him.
“I am pleased to hear your remarks, specifically focused on issues around education and health.
“These areas remain priorities for this Government especially as we strive to achieve social inclusion and collective prosperity for all Nigerians.
“Many of the issues confronting our nation today, especially in the areas of insecurity and corruption, are directly or indirectly linked to the decades of under investment in education and healthcare
Buhari however said Federal Government cannot do it alone and will need the State and Local Governments to do their part.
“This is not about politics. It is the reality.
“Today, majority of Nigerians are below 20 years old and it is projected that our population growth rate will remain amongst the fastest in the world. This means any plans we have today must take into account, the needs of tomorrow”
Tony Ailemen, Abuja
