From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
No fewer than 40 million Nigerian students have so far benefited from the federal government’s free loan initiative to boost the standard of education in the country.
Personal Assistant to President Ahmed Bola Tinubu on Constituency Affairs, Khadijat Kareem Omotayo, disclosed this at a town hall meeting in Jos with Plateau State stakeholders.
According to Omotayo, the president introduced the idea of student loans to enable those with financial constraints to have access to education. She called on those yet to apply for the loan to do the needful to complete their education, as the loan requires no collateral.
She acknowledged President Tinubu as a leader who is striving to build a Nigeria that works for all Nigerians, devoid of partisanship.
Omotayo implored Nigerians to stop attacking the president over the removal of subsidy on petroleum products, as it is in their best interest.
She further challenged Nigerians at all levels to start questioning their elected representatives over the hardship being encountered in the country rather than continuing to cast aspersions and apportion blame on the president.
She said constituency advocacy and fact-finding missions are sacrosanct as far as President Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” is concerned, which is why, in line with the mandate of her office, they are moving to various states to hear people’s concerns and take the messages to Mr. President for onward intervention.
“The president is committed to the growth and development of Plateau State, with initiatives that would improve the well-being of the people through access to quality healthcare, education, as well as women and youth empowerment.
She also promised that the president is determined to complete all federal government abandoned projects domiciled in Plateau State.
She underscored the importance of community and leadership in fostering collaboration among various groups.
The president’s aide also emphasised a desire for unity and support for all federal government initiatives, particularly in relation to youth development.
She said that the engagement served as a platform for acknowledging contributions and fostering relationships among stakeholders in the region.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang, represented by the Commissioner of Youth and Sports Development, Ibrahim Musa Ashoms, said that the state government had embarked on many youth-oriented programmes, including initiatives for internally displaced persons.
This, according to him, included the cultivation of 1,000 hectares of land, where the youths were actively engaged.
“That is to say, we also cultivated 5,000 hectares for our internally displaced persons so that they can return to their ancestral homes.
Ashoms said the government had already interfaced with the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to convert Yakubu Gowon Airport into a cargo airport.
He appealed to the federal government to hasten work on the Akwanga, Forest, Jos, Bauchi, and Gombe roads, respectively, since it had secured the $1.2 billion loan from the Chinese Bank meant for the project.
The National First Vice President of the Plateau Initiative for Development of the Natives (PIDAN), Gyang Dudu, in his contribution, said there are quite a lot of communities in Plateau State without federal government presence, adding that the plight of the people is further worsened by insecurity.
The engagement involved several stakeholders, including the Plateau Initiative for Development and Advancement of the Natives (PIDAN), traditional rulers, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), the National Union of Road Transportation Workers (NURTW), Women in Agriculture, the Plateau Youth Council (PYC), the South-South Community, the South-East Community, the Yoruba Community, amongst others.
Some of the speakers drew the federal government’s attention to the fact that most often, the constituency projects cited in various constituencies do not reflect the wishes and aspirations of the people.
They pleaded that their wishes be sought when such projects are being conceived.
The stakeholders tasked the government to always conduct needs assessments in consultation with all stakeholders, including traditional rulers and community leaders, to prioritise what they need.