Senator Ireti Kingibe has warned that the widespread practice of distributing food items and cash to citizens ahead of elections is a superficial fix that cannot address Nigeria’s deep-rooted socioeconomic challenges.
The lawmaker representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) made the assertion while speaking on the nation’s current economic realities, emphasizing that the country must pivot away from short-term palliatives and move toward sustainable governance and comprehensive structural reforms.
Senator Kingibe noted that while immediate relief is often necessary due to widespread hardship, using handouts as a political tool does nothing to lift Nigerians out of poverty in the long run. She urged leaders at all levels to focus on policies that foster enduring economic growth.
”Distributing cash and food items on the eve of elections is a temporary bandage on a deep wound,” Kingibe stated. “It does not create jobs, it does not fix our schools, and it does not secure our communities. We must shift our focus to sustainable governance and structural reforms that empower our people permanently.”
To achieve genuine national development, the lawmaker highlighted several critical sectors requiring urgent and sustainable intervention; Job Creation and industralisation, Educational and Agricultural Subsidies by Investing in modern farming techniques and vocational education and fixing power, transport, and healthcare systems to reduce the cost of living and doing business naturally.
Kingibe called on the electorate to demand long-term developmental plans from political leaders rather than accepting temporary inducements that leave their socioeconomic conditions unchanged after the polls.
