Former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, has urged governments at all levels to provide economic base for individuals with a view to tackling poverty and preventing criminal acts.
Abdulsalami stated this on Thursday during a courtesy visit to Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State in his office.
He said reduction in poverty levels of individual would curb criminal activities and implored every citizen to assist government in tackling insecurity.
He said that “everyone of us had a role to play in trying to pass any information that could be helpful to security agencies.”
”If you see any strange face in your area, it’s your civic right to report that individual,” he said.
Abdulsalami said he was in Ibadan to attend an inaugural lecture of the University of Ibadan.
He noted that the private sector experience of the governor would help him in governance of the state.
According to him, Makinde will bring to bear his wealth of experience from the private sector.
He congratulated Makinde for his victory noting that the governor was in the vanguard of encouraging the younger generation of Nigerians to take interest in politics.
”Let me congratulate you on your victory as the governor of Oyo state.
”I commend the younger generation like you to go into governance.
”As somebody coming from the private sector into governance, you are coming with lots of experience in the private sector, so one can be sure that you will deploy that experience into governing Oyo state,” Abdulsami stated.
Makinde in his remarks, described Abdulsalami as a father figure, adding that the visit was that of a father to his son.
He said his administration was already taking security seriously, saying he was reviewing the security architecture of the state in order to draw up a formidable structure for peace and security.
He promised not to toy with the security of lives and property of the people of Oyo state.
”Yesterday (Wednesday) I visited the Oyo State Security Trust Fund Office because we are trying to have a deep appreciation of what we have on ground; to know precisely how to go about the security of the state.
”We are in the phase where we are getting all the data to know the gaps.
“In a very short time, you will start seeing the changes in the security architecture of the state,” Makinde said.
