News Rendezvous

– We Will Not Just Talk, We will Work for a Better Adamawa – Gov. Fintiri

– Praises Citizens for a Peaceful Protest

In a heartfelt statewide address, Adamawa state Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, has praised the citizens for maintaining peace during the ongoing nationwide protest organized by the #EndBadGovernance movement and promised to continue to work towards building a better Adamawa state.

Speaking in a statewide broadcast address on the Day-4 of the demonstrations, Fintiri acknowledged the widespread discontent and the genuine demands of the protesters while highlighting the peaceful response within Adamawa State.

Governor Fintiri commended the people of Adamawa for their restraint and civil conduct, contrasting it with more tumultuous scenes in other parts of the country.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing the core issues raised by the protesters, including hunger, poverty, and economic hardships exacerbated by national policies and insufficient engagement from the federal government.

“Your message is clear and the demands are genuine. None of us can deny the fact that there is hunger and general poverty in the land; this has been made worse by the harsh economic realities, a deficient policy direction and the insensitivity of the national government to engage the citizens civilly.

“As leaders of the people, we must at all times not only listen but act. The lesson we must derive from the protest is the constant reminder that it is not enough to tell the citizens, “We have heard”, we must be seen as doing the needful in providing solutions to citizens’ concerns.

“The past four days of the protest regime, I have gone round, especially the state capital, and can see the level of trust we have mutually developed. It is that trust that gave me the confidence to come out, move freely and officially inspect ongoing projects in the state.

“I must thank you all for the show of support which has rekindle my resolve to do more and continue to serve you.

“I have seen love; I have equally seen genuine affection that knows no bounds at a time when the situation is rancorous in other climes.

“Fellow citizens, we can feel your pain, we can relate with what you are passing through; but we also assure you that as your leaders, the best payback you deserve from us is an advocacy to any level and a leadership that can work round the clock to not only reverse the situation of your ugly realities but restore the collective hopes of our livelihood.

“Good governance is your right and that is what we have all sworn to give you. That is what is our trademark in Adamawa state. As a government, we don’t really need a protest to remind us of this sacred responsibility.

“We are doing our best to cushion the effect of your hardship. We are particularly conscious of the disturbing youth budge with a growing unemployment rate that is alarming.

“We saw this coming. At the inception of this government, we did a study on this and our revelation was that no government can take all the army of the youths into its employment.

“Even if it can, in this age of enterprise, creativity and entrepreneurship, it is the dumbest decision to take. We therefore created the Ministry of Entrepreneurship to build the capacity of our youths to innovate, own and manage investments successfully,” Gov. Fintiri stresses.

Fintiri said, his government has detailed several initiatives to alleviate the plight of the citizens as to include entrepreneurship Support through the Creation of the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and the Fintiri Business Wallet, which has empowered over 30,000 beneficiaries with plans to support an additional 10,000 this August.

Fintiri said, “My government has established a robust transport Infrastructure, expanding it into a functional intra and intercity mass transit system with 30 new luxurious buses to ease transportation challenges in the state.

“My government has established a food security committee and significant investments in fertilizers and agricultural inputs has been put in place to support local farmers.

“We have established and sustained ongoing free education system, payment of examination fees, and improved healthcare facilities, including the construction of new schools and hospitals across the state.”

The Governor also emphasized the importance of peaceful protest as a democratic right and a call to duty for the government.

He expressed gratitude to traditional leaders, religious institutions, labor unions, and media for their support in fostering a peaceful environment and constructive dialogue.

The address concluded with a thank you to security agencies for their role in maintaining order and ensuring safety, and a renewed pledge to continue working towards the betterment of Adamawa State amidst the ongoing national discourse.

As the protests continue across Nigeria, Governor Fintiri underscores a commitment to responsive governance and collaborative problem-solving, aiming to bridge the gap between citizen grievances and effective state action.