Nigeria’s problems trouble me, says Abubakar

Posted by admin Abdulsalaami Abubakar (1998-99), Headlines, Presidency Tuesday, June 10th, 2014

Former Head of State, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar
| credits: blueprintng.com

A former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, has said that he is troubled by the challenges facing the country but he said he was optimistic that Nigeria would overcome.

The ex-Head of State spoke in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, on Tuesday during the inauguration of the Ilorin General Hospital.

Abubakar said, “As someone who has watched our country triumph over a civil war and several other crises and had the privilege of supervising our country’s return to democracy, I am troubled by the challenges that currently confront our country.

“However, I have no doubt in my mind that our country will overcome these transient challenges and take its rightful place in the league of prosperous nations.”

He noted that good governance, youth development, provision of infrastructure and social security as well as entrenchment of equity and justice held the promise of restoring the people’s faith in Nigeria.

He said if the citizens had faith in the country they would be prepared to work together to build the Nigeria they desire and deserve.

The former military leader called on government at all levels to continue to implement programmes and projects that would elevate the people and provide them with sustainable standards of living.

He urged the beneficiaries of the hospital to make the best use of the facilities by patronising it to meet their health needs.

According to him, it is only in so doing that they can justify the government’s huge investment in the scheme.

The Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, said that with the opening of the hospital as well as the expansion of the state’s community health insurance scheme, the dream of the administration to achieve a functional and quality health system had become a reality.

He said, “This hospital and indeed those at Offa, Share, Omu-Aran and Kaiama, will further strengthen our secondary health system by ensuring access to quality health for the people of the immediate and neighbouring communities as well as reduce pressure on tertiary health institutions.

“Furthermore, our innovative Community Health Insurance Scheme has provided 80, 000 individuals and families access to year-round quality healthcare for a token premium of N500.”

The governor said it was his administration’s determination to extend the scheme to every local government in the state within the next five years.wp_posts