Wike Sites Poverty As One Driver of Insecurity
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has said poverty is one of the drivers of insecurity in the nation and the Federal Government is working to improve the nation’s economy.
Wike stated this during a media interaction in Abuja on Monday. He said that the nation’s economy had been in a horrible position for a very long time, but the Federal Government was working hard to fix it through the withdrawal of subsidies and other economic programs.
He stressed that poverty and the economy were two sides of a coin, just as poverty and criminality were connected.
He said: “You cannot talk about poverty without talking about the economy.
“If the economy is good, it means a lot of things will function well and that will be able to reduce poverty.
“When the economy is working well, there will be a lot of employment creation. When the economy is good, businesses will thrive, and this is what the current government is trying to do.”
The minister, however, warned against using poverty as an excuse to commit crime. In order to effectively reduce poverty, he advised Nigerians to wait patiently, adding that the steps will eventually strengthen the economy.
The minister emphasized that poverty was not unique to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) even if she acknowledged that it had a role in the nation’s escalating levels of insecurity.
Furthermore, he said that since FCTA was dependent on the national economy, it was unable to lower poverty in the region.
He claims that decisions affecting the territory’s economy alone will not be made by the FCT Administration.
He did, however, note that while the Administration may invest in information and communication technology, skill development, and agricultural output to create jobs, the effects would take time to materialize.
“For me, the government is giving out palliatives to cushion the hardship being experienced due to fuel subsidy removal.
“We must understand where we are coming from because it is not going to be a miracle, but I want to assure you that the Federal Government is working hard to rebuild the economy,” he said.
