.Promises to rejig security architecture, education sector
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential aspirant and Sokoto State governor , Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal has promised to restructure Nigeria if elected President in 2019 general election.
He also pledged to evolve scientific measures that would enable the security architecture to meet up the challenges of the 21st century and also make the education of the youth a top priority of his government.
This, he said, would create independent spirit in the youth to pursue develop their potential and in turn become employers of labour.
The presidential aspirant unveiled his agenda during a meeting with PDP delegates from the Federal Capital Territory, FCT and the North Central in Abuja to the forthcoming national convention on Thursday.
He said that restructuring of the country was paramount to recreate a sense of unity among the people.
Tambuwal said that never before has Nigeria been “this divided”, asking the delegates to show preference to his candidature.
Recall that prominent Nigerians from almost all the 6 geopolitical zones of the country have called for the restructuring of the country.
He said: “We are here to meet our delegates from the North Central and kick start our campaign properly. This aspiration is fired and motivated by the spirit of service and the spirit to take back our country and reunite our people. And to reposition our country for it to be properly restructured to the benefit of Nigerians.
“When you give us the flag and eventually elect me as the president of the country, I will rejig the security architecture of Nigeria, employ manpower that has the capacity to address the security challenges of today, using technology.
“A situation whereby we don’t employ and deploy technology for the security of Nigeria can no longer be tolerated. Because as a country we have the resources, the manpower, the people and the youth to take these challenges head-on.
“But the question is, why are we not taking the advantage of what God has given us to solve our problems. The answer is simply because there is no leadership that has the capacity to harness all of these resources God has given us. I guarantee you by the grace of God that we shall assemble a team of Nigerians from all parts of the federation that are very competent and qualified to do whatever it takes to make sure that Nigeria is very secured.
“Repositioning Nigeria by way of ensuring that all of our children are in schools and get required training so that those that will be employed in blue collar jobs and the others that will go for various private businesses are properly trained. And that is why, when I was elected as governor of Sokoto state, I identified as key, number one priority the education of the citizens of Sokoto state. And we will apply the same formula in our project of making Nigeria great again and make sure every Nigeria child is properly educated.
“So that our children can realise their potentials and apply them to their benefit, the benefit of their community and the benefit of Nigeria state. The children of Nigeria have to be educated because it the only way we can avoid reoccurrence of Boko Haram. If you have them out there available to use by miscreants who are enemies of this country, it would be easy for to use to harness and misapply. But as a government, we must come up with deliberate policies to ensuring that no child of Nigeria is out of school and that none of them is without training that he or she can probably use to set up private businesses.
“The talk about restructuring Nigeria is also about that three arms: securing Nigeria, repositioning Nigeria which of course includes creating wealth and we can only create wealth when you have collaboration between government and the price sector. Government one cannot do it and the private sector alone also cannot do it. There has to be a synergy between the private sector and government for us to create wealth so that every citizens of Nigeria can have a better standard of living.
“And I believe that it is something that is achievable, because we have what it takes in terms of minerals resources beneath or agricultural potentials or even the entrepreneurship. We will train people as scientists or in science and technology, you can imagine what they can achieve. When you have Nigerians train and our research institutions fully equipped to the international standard, you can imagine how great the children of Nigeria can make the country. And how their scientific innovations will create wealth and jobs for the country. So we shall pay full attention to realization of science and tech potential in Nigeria. In any case, the world is going digital and Nigeria must not be left behind.
“We need to restructure this country, because the country has never been this divided. The country has never been this enmeshed with the kind of current security challenge it has as at today.
“I believe in restructuring Nigeria. The people of South South are asking for restructuring base on the understanding that oil wealth be properly applied in their respective places. Nothing is wrong with that! Let us judiciously apply the oil wealth and develop this country.
“And the people of South West are asking for restructuring in terms of physical restructuring of the economy, that is to making sure that every part the country realises its potential and ensure enabling environment for business to grow.
“While the people of the south east are interested in state creation. And while the in the north the issues are not far away from ensuring that we have better education, more development and all of that.
“And these are issues we would sit down and find a way to make them a reality. So under my administration, restructuring Nigeria will be given a serious attention and it will be a priority.
“I will not be that kind of president that will shot out the ideas of Nigerians. I will ensure that enabling environment is created for that debate to be taken and position reached that will fix the country and guarantee more unity that the division we face today. So rest assured that if you give me the flag of this our great party, we shall thrive higher and higher.”
Responding, the Acting Chairman of the PDP of FCT, Mr. Ibrahim Biko described Tambuwal as a good product that would market itself.
On behalf of the delegates, Biko pledged their votes for Tambuwal at the PDP convention.
He said: “The good product sells itself. This man is not too young to rule. Age is on his side and he is fit to move around and also to articulate on issue and proffer solutions.
“We in the FCT; we are one and as delegates, we speak in one voice. We don’t have divergent opinions. Our vote is a consolidated vote. We don’t divide our vote. So we are promising you our vote and we will not disappoint you. And I personally will help you to solicit more for our votes and ensure that you get our votes eventually.”
The meeting attracted the presence of former Minister of power, Engr. Joshua Suleiman, former Minister of FCT, Mr. Chuka Odom, former Sokoto State chairman of APC, Alhaji Suleiman Usman, former Director-General of National Orientation Agency, NOA, DG, Chief Mike Omerie and a host of others who were on the Governor’s entourage.