Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has offered suggestions on how the war against Coronavirus can be won by federal and state governments.
Fayemi, chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), said COVID-19 could only be defeated with transparency and collaborative efforts.
He advocated conscious and deliberate efforts by governments to invest massively in job creation and agriculture to ensure food security and safeguard against upsurge in crimes and hunger in post COVID-19 period.
Fayemi spoke on Saturday as Keynote Speaker at the 2020 edition of THE PLATFORM, an annual conference organised by The Covenant Nation, a Pentecostal church led by Pastor Poju Oyemade.
Other participants at the conference include the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the governors of Lagos, Nassarawa, Kaduna, Edo and Delta, as well as Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ohekweazu, among others.
Fayemi, in his virtual presentation at the conference, dwelt on what his administration and the Federal Government had done to tackle the pandemic, as well as what still needed to be done.
He saluted the courage of healthcare workers all over the country who are going beyond the call of duty to serve on the front lines of the war against COVID-19, describing them as ‘exceptional’.
The governor also advocated reduction in the cost of governance owing to reduction on revenues and streamlining of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to save cost.
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He also canvassed robust support for businesses, particularly the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and women to rebuild family structures while modifying conditions for existing loan guarantees and creation of new opportunities.
Fayemi said: “Nigeria must emerge from this crisis with a plan to create jobs, reduce poverty and put food on the table of our citizens.
“We must attract investment required to bridge the infrastructure deficit, and prioritise the provision of critical investment in education, healthcare, security and other social protection needs.
“Agriculture, the mainstay of our national and many sub-national economies, has never been more important, especially as we seek to reduce hunger.
“COVID-19 has shown the importance of food security, and our ability to call on the nation’s food reserve at this time only validates the federal government’s decision to prioritise food production.
“By focusing on job creation and poverty reduction, we will reduce the lack of opportunity, which remains a big incentive for crime.
“However, for those who still insist on criminality, we must be ready to tackle them with well-trained, equipped and appropriately remunerated security agencies.”
While commending the convener of THE PLARFORM, Oyemade, the senior pastor of The Covenant Nation, Fayemi said the forum had become an effective town hall that had been facilitating conversations in an unfiltered, yet convivial atmosphere.
