By; DAHIRU SULEIMAN, Dutse
Worried by increase in criminality plaguing the North West Zone of the country, coupled with decadence in the educational and health sectors, university dons of 30 higher institutions of learning across Nigeria, have during a meeting with the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship flag bearer, Alh. Umar Namadi vowed to endorse him, provided he will accord priority to security, education, and the health sectors.
The spokesperson, Professor Abdullahi Birniwa who chaired the event, assured the APC governorship candidate that the academicians from Jigawa State will do what they can in form of support to ensure Umar Namadi emerges victorious come 2023 gubernatorial elections.
Professor Birniwa noted that the academic community has resolved to help the new government to come on board in 2023, with a written document that will further give a clear direction towards better socio-economic development of the state.
He further stated that, with the level of the APC’s governorship candidate’s popularity and acceptability amongst the teaming electorate in the state, victory is almost guaranteed.
Responding to the academicians, the candidate, who is currently Jigawa State Deputy Governor, Namadi assured that his administration will consider academicians in such a way that educationist contribute their quota in improving the level of education in Jigawa.
He said he is highly overwhelmed by their endorsement of his candidature, which he noted, makes him confident of winning the election come 2023.
” Ours will be a consolidation upon our past achievements in the last seven and half years, to continue with the good work my predecessor, Governor Badaru Abubakar has done in the state,” he said.
During the gathering, a 12-point agenda was launched by the Jigawa APC Gubernatorial candidate, with a pledge to accord critical attention to most of the current burning issues of poverty, security, food security, and economic empowerment programmes.
According to him, as poverty and food insecurity remain high despite the concerted efforts of the current administration to addressing them through strategic investments in agriculture, heath and essential infrastructure, he intends to inject certain mechanisms for further improvement.
“The dynamics of all macroeconomic variables, the youth unemployment rate at 33 per cent in 2021 as against 38.61 in 2015, the state’s Gross Domestic Product of N2.2 trillion in 2021 as against N900 billion in 2015, suggests significant improvement in our macroeconomic space, but it is not yet at the desired destination. Climate change continues to disrupt livelihood and degrade our environment along downstream communities. The state’s economy is predominantly derived from agriculture-dominated smallholder farmers.
“Therefore, in the face of these macroeconomic realities, Jigawa State must innovate and consolidate on the existing reforms of our leader, His Excellency, Governor Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, to make our state works
for everyone and integrate the gains for building a more robust, smarter Jigawa that is self sufficient and secured.
“The choice we have to make in the next election will determine the trajectory of our dear state, not just for our generation, but for the generations that will follow us. As we ponder consolidating the gains of our leader, His Excellency, Governor Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, in “Making Jigawa Great Again”, it is essential to retool and prepare the state to continue the marathon race of making it a place for all to thrive,” he declared.
