How to achieve Nigeria of our dream, by Oluremi Tinubu

Every citizen must make the necessary sacrifice to bring the desired and genuine change in Nigeria, Oluremi Tinubu, senator representing Lagos Central at the National Assembly, has said.

Tinubu, who made the observation in Lagos at the weekend at a press parley on two years of her representation at the Senate, noted that the task of nation building was daunting and must involve one and all.

“Today, given the level of Nigeria’s development and disposition of Nigeria’s leadership, there is no doubt that Nigeria is in great need for change and development. While the manifesto of our party, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), is based on the populist foundation, we resolved to join hands with other progressive thinkers and form the All Progressive Congress (APC) so that we can all realise a new dawn in Nigeria,” she said.

The senator, who disclosed that she has so far sponsored two bills aimed at providing social security for Nigeria’s elderly citizens and amending sections of the Labour Act, which restricts employment opportunities for women, said the call in some quarters to either prune the number of federal lawmakers or making the job of lawmaking part time was to reduce cost of governance.

“I am not against anything that can help development of the country. Whatever they decide, am all for it. Governance is quite expensive and any step that can reduce it is welcome. In ministries, for instance, most of their allocations go into payment of salaries and at the end of the day nothing is left to address other needs of the ministries,” she said.

The vice chairman, Senate Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity advised that it would be detrimental to the country for senators to play politics with the lives of the masses. According to her, legislation must have a human face and those representing the people must not be detached from them.

The former First Lady of Lagos State also said that the needs of the people must be priority over infrastructural development. According to her, “It is wrong to focus on infrastructure without any investment on the people. The very essential needs of Nigerians are food, shelter and clothing. In those places where they claim they are doing well on infrastructure, when you look at the people, it appears they are detached from the state, there’s nothing to show in their style of living despite the huge amount of money going to the states. There is no welfare package and poverty level is high. They are focusing on infrastructure. But in the ACN states we ensure that there is balance. The welfare of people is not down played or sacrificed on the altar of infrastructural development. While it is good to build roads, you must think about how to assist people to put food on their table.”

Mogaji will be remembered for her tireless activism – Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday commiserated with former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu, and his family on the death of their mother, Abibat Mogaji.

A statement issued in Abuja by the presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, said Jonathan on behalf of himself, his family and the Federal Government, extended condolences to Tinubu and his family.

Abibat, who passed on at the age of 96 on Saturday, was laid to rest in Lagos on Sunday.

“The president joins Asiwaju Tinubu, his family, the people of Lagos and many Nigerians whose lives were touched in positive ways by Alhaja Abibat’s activism over the years in mourning the late president-general of the Association of Nigerian Market Women and Men.