*says quota system killing productivity in Nigeria
By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
Candidate People’s Redemption Party (PRP) in the 2023 General elections for Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency, Comrade Shak Stephen Umaru has said that he is worried about the situation in Nigeria, with the reliance on crude oil for survival.
Speaking at a one-day Agenda Setting Dialogue With Candidates for Federal and State Legislative Constituencies organised by Partnership for Issues-based Campaign in Nigeria (PICaN) in collaboration with Legal Awareness for Nigeria Women (LANW) has on Wednesday December 14 in Kaduna, he said there is an urgent need to gather experts to develop a 50-year economic development plan.
He decried the reliance of crude oil for Nigeria’s survival, vowing to sponsor a bill that will kickstart Nigeria’s economic revival.
“If the oil dries up, how will we pay teachers and other workers? Whether we like it or not, if you have felt the impact of this government you know. What is the development plan for Chikun/Kajuru Constituency?” He queried.
He said that if elected, he would plan ahead, breaking it down into medium and long term plans.
“As a legislator, you can sponsor bills that will provide pragmatic solutions. One of the bills I want to sponsor is National Economic Development Plan, so that whoever comes in as President afterwards, will follow that plan. We need to bring in economic planners and business people to develop the plan,” he said.
Speaking further, he decried the policy of quota system for employment in federal ministries and agencies, describing it as counter productive.
“What is killing our ministries is the quota system. Any ministry not doing well, is as a result of quota system. As such I will sponsor a bill to do away with quota system,” he assured.
He said Chikun and Kajuru are agrarian communities, hence the need to invest heavily in agriculture.
According to him, following climate change, he has plans to plant one million economic trees annually.
“So that in 20 years, you begin to harvest those fruits and sell them. The trees will make us have a sustainable atmosphere,” he added.
He also said there is need to make irrigation systems available in the constituency.
“Do we have any irrigation system in Chikun and Kajuru? I will provide irrigation system and make many become millionaires from agriculture. Every year I will train 100 youth in tractor mechanical engineering. I will train them on how to fix the tractors because we are moving towards mechanized agriculture,” he vowed.
