By Friday Idachaba
Former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Abubakar Atiku has said that his government, if elected, would set aside 10 billion U.S. Dollars to address unemployment and empower the youth to establish businesses.
Atiku disclosed this on Saturday in Lokoja when he led the PDP Presidential Campaign Train to Kogi as part of his campaign towards to February 25, election.
“What I have seen from Obajana down to Lokoja is thousands and thousands of jobless young men and women. We will give you jobs and if we don’t give you jobs, we will give you businesses to do.
“You know, I have promised that I have set aside 10 billion US dollars to empower our young men and women so that they can do their own businesses and and live comfortable lives”, he said.
The former Vice President also pledged to squarely address what he termed “Ajaokuta Steel Complex nightmare” if the Kogi electorate would vote-in a PDP Presidency in the February 25, election.
According to him, the state has all it takes to excel but leadership had constituted a bane and it could only be corrected with election of the PDP to steer the statecraft.
“Your challenges have been enumerated by various speakers. One of them is the issue of Ajaokuta. I want to confirm here that if you give us your support and you elect a PDP government the nightmare of Ajaokuta will be a thing of the past.
“I assure you, this is a promise that I have made on behalf of the PDP. I also want to promise you that the issue of your inland Port is not only a Kogi issue.
“It is the issue of all Northern Nigeria because through this development of the port in Kogi, we also will have access to the maritime transportation in this country.
“So, it is not only a Kogi matter, it is the matter of the entire North and I promise you that we will make sure we implement the programme.
“Let me also assure you that if you vote for PDP, there will be no more salary arrears in Kogi State because we will support Kogi State to make sure that nobody is owed any salary”, he said.
Atiku also assured that with PDP government, the issue of perennial Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) would be a thing of the past.
He said, “Let me also assure you that the issue of University closure where our children will be out of school or out of universities for seven to eight months will be a thing of the past.
“Therefore, Kogi people, if you want all these issues to be resolved, PDP is the answer.
“Now, Ever since the PDP stop governing Kogi state, no meaningful development has taken place in this state.
“This stadium was built by the PDP everything in Kogi was built by PDP and the man who built it is here, Ibro.
“I know they clearly deceived you about APC and you voted for them. You have now seen what APC means.
“It means poverty, unemployment, insecurity, lack of development. Every negative indices in human development has been brought about in this country by the APC. I know you will not vote for APC again.
“So the people of Kogi State, we are appealing to you. We are here not to deceive you we are men and women of integrity”, he said.