New Year Message 2024: ALGON National President Hon Alabi Says In Nigeria’s Deepest Struggle Lies Its Greatest Strength Through Unhindered Constitutional Local Government System
ā¦Urges Nigerians to Support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Renewed Hope Agenda for a Possible New Nation And Councils
That ‘the future listens to hope’ is another postulation that was part of deep takeaways of the ALGON National President Hon Kolade David alabi during his New year message.
In a press statement issued this 31st December evening, it was a mixed emotional laden piece filled with thanks to the rural constituents for their resilience and undying confidence in the democratic journey.
He congratulated Nigerians but did not hesitate to express the aggregated displeasure over evidences of unprecedented erosion in the leadership of the local governments and councils for years.
The ALGON National President noted that “ordinarily, the system should be regarded as a critical state actors across the country for accretive development to behold and for immense changes in the political landscape which has in the past years been on life support and autopiloted.ā
He said that such vivid description has deteriorated the unfailing struggles in Nigeria’s 63 years of self rule and retrospectively in 1976 when a Constitution that set the tone for a constitutional democracy was midwife down to the 1999 era when the Military amended and handed over the present constitution till that finally contemplated and guaranteed a democratically elected system.
Hon Alabi noted that such experiment has been gravitating from one tale of woes to another and will continue unless a strong and virile LG system is guaranteed through autonomy and fiscal independence.
The Nigeria challenging economic space has earned the long perception from its poor masses who are left in perennial state of hopelessness and trust deficit to the chequered system.
He said having traversed several continents of Africa, Ashia, Europe and America, experience has shown that across the social economic space, the things about feeling hopeless usually present no quick fix to pull one out of that mentally and physically inhibited space but attempt to keep to the speed of adaptation with global realities through strong institutions like the LGAs that has revolutionized countries like Egypt, South Africa, Morocco, and even Sudan.
He added that āit was only through decent and smart innovation, with positive thoughts to occupy thinking faculty of leaders and replace those doubt, fear, and anxiety that a shift from fixated thoughts to pull out of such cycle to reinforced some effective, efficient and egregious ideas as encapsulated in President Bola Ćhmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda for great future will be entrenched.ā
Referencing the 80-page Renewed Hope Agenda in the campaign Manifesto, he observed that it was carefully compiled with series of world class development ideas, focussing on Nigeria’s local peculiarities specifically with a dive into how best we can attain an inclusive prosperous nation.
He urged Nigerian’s to fully trust the process and give peace a chance noting that with the Renewed Hope Agenda in the ecosystem, there is mass return of confidence under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and is determined to replicate and magnify his 8 years in Lagos example as Governor.
Hon. Alabi maintained that even as the Blue Sea Economy agenda of the federal government has all it’s operation domiciled in the councils, they are local government oriented-evenly spread from Lagos international deep sea routes in the West, to Abia blue Sea in Ohafia, to Oguta lake in Imo in the East, to Argungu River in Kebbi of the North, to Baro port in Niger up to Lokoja, Onitsha, Onne Port in the South, Bight of Bonny, Lake Chad Basin of the North all begging for development for year’s.
He said that similar opportunity abound in the Continental Free Trade Agreement of the African Union and ECOWAS and was quick to present valid reasons of Local Governments and Councils as the real owners of the project giving it vast connecting trading routes that predates the Trans Saharan Trade era and the once Slave routes to the western world which all flourished exponentially and begging for turn around.
He further harped on the enormous gains of keying into the transformative
initiatives of the Tinubu government and harnessing the gains of Continental Free Trade Agreement (aCFTA) and the role of local and regional governments when regarded as state actors in its
implementation which will be pivotal in providing unprecedented
opportunity for collaborative growth and prosperity.
He noted that ideas like creating single market for goods and services across Africa, catalyzing economic integration, eliminating barriers to trade, boosting intra-Africa commerce,
and unleashing the immense potential of our collective economies will launch the country in to a new prosperous nation.
He said that given the character, competence and capacity of Mr. President, it has become very urgent to fully maximize the FCTA Agenda 2063 that encapsulates the aspiration of fostering unity,
inclusivity, and shared prosperity to make quantum economic leap insisting that businesses, both large and small, can thrive by accessing a broader consumer base within the rural authorities especially if progressively dismantling tariffs and facilitating the movement of goods and
services.
It was his stand that it’s aim to drive industrialization, foster innovation,
and economic resilience will benefit more the rural populace as well as the country in general
He urged Nigerian’s to keep their fate in the true purpose of creating local and regional governments.
According to him it will serve as the front lines of implementation, translating the vision of AfCFTA into tangible benefits for their communities in line with standards best practices if strategic planning,
infrastructural development, and the creation of business-friendly
environments, by such intervention is cascaded down to the local and regional governments to finally
catalysts economic growth
It will be recalled that Hon Alabi had since his five years as the ALGON National President had numerous high-powered, multi-stakeholder meetings local and international like the UCLGA, African Union, United Nation on Safe Environment, aCFTA, Commonwealth of local governments and Cities, COP28, Climate Change and Adaptation Conference, and numerous to mention.
He is spearheading through ALGON with other progressive institutions to canvass the mass return to governance system an approach that earns access to foreign direct investment, International grants, multi-stakeholder partnerships, alliance development and cooperation using the instrumentality of strong local governments.
The conversation has characterized the thrust of his administration as ALGON National President including engaging both national and state assembly to make impressive legislation, ensure oversight towards a win win-win for the Tiers of governments.
It will be recalled that world over, development experts and global icons have continued to list gains of bottom-up induced growth that reverses lost to affluence focussing on local empowerment of the government system of which Alabi is maximizing the opportunity through engagement and advocacy.
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