Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has said for Nigeria to overcome its challenges, the country’s present crop of leaders must address poverty and unemployment amongst the youths.

The governor said this on Thursday in Abuja at the National inauguration of a project tagged ‘Project 20 million’.

Tambuwal, who was represented by his Special Assistant on Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, Akibu Dalhatu, said that for Nigeria to enjoy peace, these challenges must be addressed.

He said that governments at all levels needed to first address poverty and youth unemployment, adding that only then would the impact of governance be felt by the people.

“In our country today, we are faced with banditry, rape cases, corruption, mismanagement of funds, nepotism, insurgency, and so many issues that threaten the unity of this country.

“Posterity will not fail to judge us all for our actions and inactions if we do not speak; it is we the people that will change Nigeria.

“The recent #EndSARS protests that rocked across the country and even beyond is a wake-up call to our leaders.

“The fact that they have pushed us so much to the wall shows that Nigerians are ready to start pushing back,” Tambuwal stressed.

He added that those at the top must effectively engage the citizenry in the budget making process, saying that appropriation bill at the Federal Level must not remain an executive affair.

The governor said, “We must adopt the participatory approach to budget making; before the budget office of the Presidency, the Ministry of Finance and Budget Planning finalise any budget, they must organise town hall meetings.

”This will gather the inputs of the people and determine priority areas.

“If the people participate in the budget-making process, they will also follow how the appropriated money is being spent and by this they will demand transparency and accountability from government officials.

“The people’s engagement in these processes strengthens and deepens democracy, and this ensures that the process of the rule of law is followed.”

NAN