By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
The gubernatorial candidate of the People’s Redemption Party on Kaduna State for the 2023 polls, Hayatudeen Lawal Makarfi has assured that if voted into power, the state will witness an economic boom, which will be adopted from the Dubai model.
He expressed this, while speaking on Ground Zero aired live of Procyon Radio/TV and Invicta FM on Friday January 20, 2023.
Makarfi explained that from the Dubai model, every citizen that his land is used for investment, gets 20 per cent equity in the investment, which will not only benefit their present, but future generations.
“We are looking at building an economy that the PRP started in 1979. The only way to do this is by moving from consumption to production. You don’t do it like the present administration, you do it bottom-top, not top-bottom.
“The concept is to ensure that everything you begin to touch after a year or two would be made in Kaduna,” he said.
Speaking further, he explained that his administration will focus on human capital development.
“By investing in the population. If you are able to create two million jobs in the private sector, there would be a multiplying effect all over the state,” he said
He faulted the present All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration in the state for what he described as misplaced priority in spite being indebted to the tine of “N700 billion”.
“The problem with the urban renewal is that it is not creating jobs, it would also be requiring maintenance. As such, we want to invest in people of Kaduna in education, in sports, in health, in technology.
“For instance, if you invest in 1,000 people to produce screen guards for phones, the multiplying effect will be massive if we are just to meet up with demands of Northern Nigeria.
“One other area we are looking at that is very important is sports. We have a lot of youth interested in sports and also in ICT. We would do that across the 23:LGAs in the state by partnering private sector to build sports complex just like Ahmed Musa has done.
“We want Kaduna to be the first not just in Nigeria, but West Africa by investing in robotics, artificial intelligence and others,” he said.
The guber candidate while explaining why his party is the best, said that, “Why PRP is the best is because we want to move away from commercialized politicking. We want politics of ideology. By May 29 when I am sworn in, I will be uniting Kaduna. I want to be able to go to Kafanchan or Jaba and do business without being afraid,” he declared.
He assured that if he comes on board, he would unite the state politically by forming a unity government
“Kaduna has never been more divided than it is today,” he lamented, while assuring that his administration will ensure that the dispensation of justice system which he described as poor, will be boosted through ensuring that the three arms of government adhere to separation of power and checks and balancing.
Hayatudeen Lawal Makarfi who said that he is the youngest Guber candidate, was born in 1985 and served under the present Kaduna State government in various capacities.
In a goodwill message to the programme, State Team Leader of the Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL), Abel Adejor commended the host, Ehis Agbon for creating avenue for the electorate to know more about candidates.
He said that PERL, in collaboration with the Partnership for Issues-Based Campaign in Nigeria (PICaN), Legal Awareness for Nigeria Women (LAWN) with support of ActionAid Nigeria has facilitated several dialogue series with gubernatorial candidates on their blueprints towards increasing public awareness, facilitating stakeholders review, presentation of citizens demand charter and signing social contracts on the citizens’ groups demand charters.
