President Muhammadu Buhari has frowned at the inability of the Nigerian elites to address the welfare and educational needs of the less-privileged members of the society.
The president made his feelings known when he hosted Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Ministers, Service Chiefs, Heads of Security Agencies and Chief Executives of Federal Government Agencies and Institutions to ‘the breaking of fast” at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
President Buhari said he was upset with the level of poverty in the land and challenged the elites to do something very urgent to ameliorate the pathetic situation.
He stated that already the Federal Government had introduced people friendly programmes like the School Feeding and `Trader Money’ to alleviate the hardship being experienced by the less-privileged individuals across the country.
He, therefore, commended the Vice-President for successfully managing the school feeding and `trader money’ programmes.
“When I drive around the country what upset me very much is the status of our poor people in this country – you see young people, the so-called Almajiris with tore dresses, with plastic bowl. They are looking basically for what to eat.
“The question of education (to them) is a luxury. I think Nigerian elite we are all failing because I think we should have a programme that will at least guarantee some basic education for our people no matter how poor they are.
“So, I welcome the Vice-President for initiating the School feeding programme. If you check in your localities the enrolment into schools improved because a lot of children can get at least one good meal a day. This is the position of this country.
“But, culturally some of us are quiet merciless, we don’t care about what happen to others we just keep on moving forward,: he said.
Vice-President Osinbajo, who spoke on behalf of the members of the cabinet, thanked the president for inviting them, both Muslims and Christians, to the event.
He said that regardless of ethnic and religion affiliations, Nigerians must continue to be their brothers’ keepers and must work towards building a united nation.
He, however, condemned some politicians, who were bent on dividing the people along ethno-religious lines.
Those, who joined the President for the fast-breaking meal known as Iftar, included some heads of federal government agencies and institutions.
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority, Alhaji Yakubu Ibn Muhammed, and the Chairman, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, Abdullahi Mukhtar, were among the dignitaries at the event.
MM/GIK/APA