Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has promised to make perennial problems of narrowleaf cattail (Typha angustifolia L.) and desertification that has been ravaging many parts of Jigawa state for many years a thing of the past if elected.
He made the pledge at Dutse, Jigawa state capital when his campaign team visited the state on Wednesday.
According to him, his administration, once voted into office would make concerted efforts to ensure that farmers in the state have the full complement of the agricultural development they require.
“Apart from the persistent problems of desertification, perennial fooding and gully eroson that are prevalent regional environmental problems, Jigawa is faced wth the peculiar menace of rapidly growing invasive Typha grass that has blocked water channels and rivers, and escalated the occurrence of flooding upstream, thereby denying farmers downstream access to water for irrigation, fishing and domestc use.
“My administration, God willing, will give special attention to overcoming this menace and that of desertification to allow for irrigation works and other agricultural activities to flourish,” he said
Turning to agriculture, which is the mainstay of the state’s economy, the former Vice President pledged to tackle lack of agricultural inputs, lack of articulate government policy to guide the sector and slow rate of mechanisation that have hampered progress in this sector.
“I promise the farmers in Jigawa State that my government will construct dams, open more land for farming as well as provide the required assistance and inputs for them to produce optimally,” he said.
On youths and women empowerment, the former Vice President undertook that his government “will create an environment that will provide employment and fulfilment to youth and women through education, mentorship, vocational training and technology and entrepreneurship initiatives,” while reiterating his commitment to sourcing $10 billion to empower the most vulnerable in society.
Acknowledging the large number of out of school children and low school retention in Jigawa State, the presidential candidate asserted that as part of his youth empowerment program, he, as President, will ensure that the incoming State Government declares a state of emergency on basic and secondary education in the State.
He also promised “to introduce positive reforms including the Tsangaya educational system, which will provide an avenue for pupils to be schooled in islamic and western education, wherever they are located. This system has worked well in Pakistan and we too can do it.”
While condoling the people of the State and indeed all Nigerians over the loss of the late Emir of Dutse, Alhaji (Dr) Nuhu Muhammad SanusI, who he described as “a leader and a patriot of note,” Alhaji Atiku thanked monarchs in the star and nationwide for their roles in engendering peace and harmony.
He promised to explore the possibility of a Constitutional role for traditional institutions, if elected President, pointing out that as Waziri of Adamawa he is also a stakeholder in the revamping of the monarchical project.
He admonish the Royal fathers to remain as the moral compass of the society and stay away from politics since they are the fathers of all, while sympathizing with the people for the hardship caused by the Naira redesign policy and the acute shortage of fuel.
He thanked them for coming out enmasse to his rally, despite the unbearable hardship everybody is going through now. “I thank you for coming despite the difficulties, PDP and I remain in your debt and will not forget you,” he said.
