By JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
A former governorship aspirant in Anambra State, Chief Rommy Okoli, has called on politicians and governments at all levels to be responsible and responsive to the needs of the masses when making their policies.
The Elder Statesman made the call at a news briefing in Awka as part of the activities to mark his birthday.
The Messenger as he is fondly called, said the level of hunger and poverty among the people is worrisome, noting that it demands an urgent and deliberate policy to address them.
He appealed to President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to make the country’s refineries functional to address the problem of petroleum supply and price induced inflation.
He said Nigeria is richly endowed that no citizen should be in poverty, if they were properly harnessed and prudently managed.
Okoli also expressed concerns over the security situation across the country and urged the security agencies to rise to the occasion.
“The high price of fuel is making it difficult for free movement of persons, goods and services and people cannot do their business effectively, farmers cannot go to farm for fear of being abducted, these are twin factors the government should work on immediately.
“The arms of government at various levels should collaborate to make Nigeria work, it is not enough for them to be living in affluence and opulence while the majority of the populace are wallowing in poverty and squalor,” he said.
Okoli, a former executive chairman of Nnewi South LGA said the Supreme Court judgment which granted financial autonomy to councils was a welcome development.
He pointed out that the financial autonomy will empower the Local Government Areas to be effective.
“We all know that local government areas are the closest to the people, with the financial autonomy, councils will become more proactive and capable of taking care of the immediate needs of their people.
“I am calling for peace in Nigeria, we need peaceful co-existence of all the ethnic nationalities in Nigeria which would engender and quicken development,” he said.
