1999 Governors Tell Tinubu to Build Local Industries Not Share N5000 Palliatives

Former governors who served between 1999 and 2007 have urged President Bola Tinubu to prioritise security and job creation through cottage industries instead of distributing N5,000 cash palliatives.

Speaking after a closed-door meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa on Friday, Chairman of the Class of ’99 Governors and former Edo State governor, Lucky Igbinedion, said they came to discuss the state of the nation, especially the economy, insecurity, and agriculture.

Igbinedion said the group advised Tinubu to urgently address worsening hardship in rural communities, stressing that without security, there can be no progress or stability.

He said the President was receptive and promised to consider their recommendations.

“We told him the economy must be stabilised, especially the exchange rate. But more importantly, we urged him to create cottage industries in all 774 local government areas to provide jobs,” Igbinedion said.

He dismissed cash handouts as unsustainable. “If you give someone ₦5,000 today, what happens at lunch or dinner? The money cannot buy much,” he said.

The group said palliatives were not a long-term solution and urged the government to focus on empowering citizens through employment and industrial development.