From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The former senatorial candidate in Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the 2023 general elections on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Muhammad Sani Abdullahi Dattijo has launched a 255-page book he authored titled; “Disruption: Rethinking Governance to Work for the Poor”.
Dattijo, an economic expert launched the book penultimate Sunday in Berlin, Germany.
In a statement signed by Ahmed Maiyaki, Media and Communication lead for the event and issued to the media, said the book foreword was written by United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed.
The statement quoted the Author of the book, Muhammad Dattijo, commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the bold step in ending the subsidy regime, with an excerpt from the book that correctly addresses Nigeria’s current subsidy removal.
“The book tackles the pressing issue of creating a government that prioritizes the needs of the most vulnerable members of our society, aiming to bring about meaningful change and social equality. It challenges conventional thinking about governance and presents innovative approaches to address the needs of the present.
“The subsidy regimes have been rigged to benefit a small class of business persons working with a few corrupt public officials against the interest of majority citizens. It can thus be argued that the biggest beneficiaries are not those in need of them.”
Dattijo, therefore advocated that the subsidies have to free up revenues for social protection, “which is a politically risky proposition, especially because of the wide chasm of distrust between citizens and government over the years”.
He further argued that for the markets to work and productivity to rise, “we must ensure that the poor, the socially excluded, and the vulnerable benefit from the well-designed programs that cushion the effects of government decisions”
The statement added that “Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany, Yusuf Tuggar, who spoke at the event commended the Author, his time at the United Nations, and his decision to return to Nigeria to serve the administration of Mallam Nasir El-rufai’s government, under which the Author served in various capacities diligently”.
Tuggar urged governments at every level in Nigeria and worldwide to adopt some of the most innovative approaches to reforms recommended in the book, a detailed infusion of storytelling and real-time case studies on making small governments rethink governance to work for the people with low incomes.
“Several dignitaries attended the book launch, including Diplomats, several German CEOs, EU and German Government Officials, Civil Society Groups, and Academia. Another launch and book reading is scheduled to hold at a later date in July in Kaduna, Abuja, and Lagos. The book is available online and offline on Amazon and other major bookstores,” the statement said.