The Confederation of All Progressives Congress (APC) Support Groups has called on President Bola Tinubu’s government to empower 200 people in small-scale businesses to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians.

Its director-general, Kailani Muhammad, made the call at the graduation and celebration of academic excellence organised by the British American University in Abuja.

“We want the federal government to empower at least 200 people to do small-scale businesses in each state of the federation, including the FCT, so that they will stop complaining,” said Mr Muhammed.

Mr Muhammad also urged the government to equip Nigerian farmers with machinery and fertilisers to produce crops in commercial quantities for local consumption and export.

“In the 1960s, Nigeria fed Africa. I can remember when I was a child, the country was exporting rice from Bida, Niger state. The state also fed Nigeria with rice. Why can’t we do it again?

“So, this brings about the issue of insecurity. We want insecurity to be eradicated in our society. The government should equip the farmers and give them machinery and fertilisers to encourage them.

The director-general also urged the federal government to stop rooting palliatives through state governments to the masses.

“All these monies that were given to the governors, we are calling on the federal government to stop it. The state governments should roll out their own palliatives for the poor masses.

“While the ones we want the federal government to be rolling out, it should be given to various associations of students, women associations, Confederation of APC Support Groups, the political parties whether you are PDP, APC, Labour, APGA or other parties,” he said.

Mr Muhammad also commended the federal government for allowing the federal universities to operate an endowment independent of the Treasury Single Account (TSA)

He said removing tertiary institutions from TSA is a good idea, but the government should also ensure that value-added taxes (VAT) placed on universities are removed.

Mr Muhammad urged the government to provide free education from primary to secondary and tertiary institutions as done by the first premier of the Western Region, Obafemi Awolowo.

“We want free education right from primary to secondary and tertiary institutions. Nigeria has the money to do that. Vocational and technical institutions should be revived,” he stated. 

(NAN)