Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday vowed to put a permanent end to the incessant strike by members of the Academic Staff University (ASUU) if elected as the President of the country on February 25.
The former Vice President also promised to pursue restructuring by devolving more powers to the state and local government such that the progress and socio-economic development of the country would be enhanced.
The PDP presidential candidate equally promised to pursue industrialization and see to the proper exploration of various mineral resources that are very abundant in the state.
Atiku stated this during a town hall meeting he held with stakeholders and members of the party in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.
The former Vice President attributed the decay in the education sector to the poor funding of the sector.
Atiku said, “There is something wrong with our educational system, we don’t fund them and we also don’t make sure that they have equipment in their laboratories.
“It is a very, very important sector of our national life and human development, we cannot neglect our educational sector.
“I will be very serious about education and I will not allow the standard of our education to fall neither will I allow our teachers to go without salaries.”
Sharing his economic recovery plan with members of the party, Atiku said, “What we propose or what to plan to implement is to expand the economy so that once we do that, we believe unemployment and also living standard of our workers whether in the public or private will be improved.
“Those who understand economics know that expanding the economy means growing the economy and removing all obstacles that tend to affect the growth of the economy.
“We have done that before from 1999 to 2015 when we grew this economy and it became the biggest economy in Africa and the biggest growth in the history of this country as far as our GDP growth is concern.”
Speaking at the rally held at Ake Palace, the Chairman of the party, Sen Iyorcha Ayu condemned APC government for their intolerance saying that they have always refused the opposition party to make use of appropriate venues that could contain the teeming party members and their supporters during their political rallies.
Ayu said “that was how they treated us in Osun State, we had to have our campaign by the road side and we went ahead to defeat them, we shall beat them again, we shall crush them at the polling both both at the national and state level during the forthcoming elections”.
Ayu said that PDP when it was in power grew the economy of the country to be the biggest in Africa adding that “it is however unfortunate that things have changed now, many Nigerians have been impoverished by the APC government, many can no longer afford to eat rice, people are really suffering.
“Time to reject the ruling party is now. We call on people of Ogun State to vote for Atiku as the next President of Nigeria. Vote for all other PDP candidates to end the suffering is here. PDP shall return smiles to the faces of Nigerians once again”.
Ayu later handed over the flag of the party to Hon Ladipupo Adebutu as its governorship candidate as well as his running mate, Hon Adekunle Akinlade
Canvassing support for Atiku at the rally, the Director-General of Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign, Gov Aminu Tambuwal described the party’s presidential candidate as a man versed with experience and who has what it takes move the nation forward.
Tambuwal said “a vote for Atiku is a vote for restructuring meaning more powers to the state and local government that will free resources to further develop the country. A vote for Atiku will engender good governance, accelerated progress and Ogun will take its place of pride in the scheme of things under this PDP led government”.
Other dignitaries who came with Atiku Abubakar were his wife, Chief Mrs Titi Abubakar, governor of Osun State, Sen Ademola Adeleke, governor of Akwa Ibom, Udom Emmanuel, two former Senate Presidents, Bukola Saraki and Adolphus Wabara, former House of Representatives Speaker, Hon Yakubu Dogara, Sen Dino Melayi among others.