Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday, appealed to all geopolitical zones in the country to contribute equitably to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), in order to ensure national stability.
Speaking when the chairman of the National Executive Council of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Dr Ibrahim Coomassie, led other executive members of the forum to visit him at the National Assembly, Saraki said the only way for the North to contribute meaningfully to the growth of the nation’s GDP and the diversification of the economy was for its leaders to methodically focus on mining and agriculture.
Saraki, in a statement by Sanni Onogu, his Chief Press Secretary, said “my appeal is that in all countries that have gone through similar economic challenges like ours, recovery does not happen overnight.
“There will be initial pain but eventually, the future will be bright. It is this journey that we should have embarked upon many years ago. We cannot run away from it.
“We cannot continue to depend only on oil. We must look at agriculture. Specifically for those of us from the North, agriculture is key.
“I also want to say that for the stability of any country, it is important that every part of the country is seen to be contributing to the economy of the country. A country where it is only one part that contributes to the economy is recipe for disaster.
“For the stability of this country, it is important that we from the North must play our own role to contribute significantly to the GDP of this country.
“It is then we come to the table on equal terms and then we will be able to ensure the stability of this country. The only way for us to make our contribution is to go back to mining and agriculture. We must talk to our people that it is time for hardwork.”
The ACF chairman, Coomassie, had earlier told the Senate President that the visit was meant to sustain and consolidate the cordial relationship that existed between the ACF and the Senate since 1999.
He congratulated the Senate President on inauguration of the eighth Senate and described the National Assembly as an epitome of democracy.
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