30th November, 2018
The Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, on Friday called on the Federal Government to stop robbing ‘Peter to pay Paul’ and genuinely develop communities in the oil-producing states to improve the lives of the people.
Akiolu made the call in Lagos when members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) paid him a courtesy visit.
According to the monarch, the oil-producing states should be better developed because that is where a large chunk of the nation’s revenue is generated.
“We cannot continue to rob Peter to pay Paul. The government should take care of the areas where the oil is coming from.
“They should add value to the environment and the people in the area,” he said.
The royal father blamed the accumulation of wealth by some Nigerians on greed, saying the government should focus on welfare programmes that would improve the lives of Nigerians, especially the workers.
He said that government should focus on developmental programmes such as hospitals, transportation, road infrastructure, power and other welfare programmes.
Akiolu said that the salaries being earned by workers were not enough.
“No matter how much the workers receive, the salaries will be eroded by inflation as traders will also increase the prices of their goods,’’ he said.
Mr Johnson Francis, PENGASSAN President, commended the traditional ruler for sending representatives with the staff of office to the Association’s 40th anniversary celebration in Abuja.