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Tag: presidential aspirant

  • Presidential aspirant mourns loss of N60B

    The Port Harcourt conspiracy which produced the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, might have come and gone, but the shockwaves  have remained. One of the presidential aspirants from the North, Sentry learnt, is still in a state of shock having blown N60billion to prepare, shuttle around, lobby godfathers and shower delegates with about $1,500 and $2,000 per head.

    The aspirant,  who refused to step out for six days, soliloquised in the presence of his supporters that, “This campaign cost me N60billion, and I cannot believe the votes I got.” Although the aspirant had been rehabilitated in the PDP’s Presidential Campaign Council, he is licking his wounds on a daily basis. Sentry learnt that the aspirant has become deeply rueful and insomniac. How to recover the huge cash is behind the insomnia, said the source.

  • I’ll not tolerate stealing as President – Jerry Gana

    The Presidential Aspirant of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Professor Jerry Gana has said that if elected President, his administration will deal decisively with any corrupt official.

    Speaking to newsmen in Minna, Niger state after welcoming delegates of The Standing Committee meeting of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Gana declared that his administration will not tolerate or shield any corrupt official.

    Read Also:2019 Presidency: Jerry Gana declares under SDP

    “I will operate a transparent government. I have served the nation in different capacity without any stain. In my government, you must not steal, if you steal, I will deal with you firmly and decisively because the moral conviction will be there, that is leadership by example. We can do it because the people of SDP have demonstrated to be people of integrity. We are genuine.”

    The Presidential Aspirant stated that Nigerians will not tolerate rigging of the 2019 elections as they are determined to ensure that their votes count, “This election, Nigeria will not take any rigging of election. They want to vote and they will ensure that their votes count. They want the very best and when we choose, do not overturn our election, stand by what we have chosen.”

    He said that Nigerian would be the Chief examiners of this administration, “you are the chief examiners, you are the one to determine if they are good or not, whether they are confused or not, whether they have delivered their promises, it is only you who know and you are the ones to examine the administration.”

    Gana stressed on the need for Nigeria to get quantitative leadership adding that SDP can deliver on the type of leadership, “SDP has all the plan that will lead Nigeria to 24 hours power supply, provision of first class infrastructures, rebuild and reactivate the entire national economy. SDP can do it all if given a chance,” he said.

  • Presidential aspirant lists way out of insecurity

    A 36-year-old presidential aspirant from Ondo State, Mr. Patrick Bamidele Oludare Jnr., has suggested ways out of the lingering insecurity situation in the country.

    The presidential aspirant, who is running on the platform of Youth Democratic Party,  said one of the reasons for the persistence of insecurity in Nigeria was that the Nigerian security system  was designed to be reactive.

    Oludare, who spoke at a public lecture in Akure yesterday, said, “Nigeria is currently running a reactive system of police, while it needs to practise proactive system of police.

    “The Nigeria police force needs to focus on and invest in crime detection, crime preventionan intelligence gathering to be able to combat its various security problems.

    “There are known strategies that can be used to disrupt new crime development and prevent the onslaught of criminal activities in the country.

    “It is necessary that most of the Nigerian policemen should be made to work in the area of crime prevention and intelligence gathering,” he noted.

    He added that it would be ideal if 60 percent of Nigerian policemen was deployed in intelligence gathering, assuring that such would preempt debilitating attacks on unwary communities as being witnessed through the Fulani herdsmen strikes.

    Oludare who also promised to create 500,000 businesses in the first six months if elected president, said his immediate task would be to fix Nigeria’s “broken economy.”

    The young aspirant said he would “geo-fix the economy through improvement in credit status” and “financing solutions with a bank-initiated market, to sustain capital growth in the economy.”

  • Ten questions for every 2019 presidential aspirant

    A nation touted as the giant of Africa should be ashamed of the appalling health statistics of its citizens. Health is a globally recognized human right but a walk down the streets of your average Nigerian town will show this to be a lie. People die in “accidents” everyday; obvious risks to anyone who has seen Nigeria’s roads, yet we say it was God’s will. People inhale soot that increases their risk of cancer and chronic respiratory conditions. Then they fall ill and we say it was the work of their enemies. People live in slums with no sanitation and unsanitary water then we sigh when they die from cholera.

    The health outcome of Nigerians is a window showing the whole world the priorities of her leaders. The poorest people in Nigeria’s urban centres are five times more likely to die than the urban richest. Pregnant women, as well as a lot of newborns, die from reasons that are medically avoidable. Working class youth are dying from cardiovascular diseases that people in other countries only worry about once they are senior citizens. People walk around with mental illnesses, undiagnosed and uncared for. The poor cannot access medical care. Thousands who have lost loved ones to violence will be raped in refugee camps, by those who should be providing them a safe haven.

    When will enough be enough?

    Health is so critical to the life and dignity of every Nigerian and I task you, dear presidential aspirant, to have a plan for health, not later, but right now. I am calling to you put the health and well-being of the Nigerian people at the centre of development. I am through this giving the Nigerian people a set of health-related criteria to scrutinize you by during and after the election period. Prove to us that you plan to create an effective public health system that you will use. If it is not good enough for you, it is not good enough for any Nigerian.

    Here are your questions:

    What is your plan to extend the life expectancy of citizens? Nigeria’s average life expectancy is a little over 50. The top 10 causes of death in Nigeria according to the Centres for Disease Control are malaria, respiratory infections, HIV, diarrhoeal disease, road injuries, malnutrition, cancer, meningitis, stroke, and tuberculosis in that order.  Many of them are preventable through investments in primary care, sanitation, and community health promotion. How will you ensure that it is not a death sentence to be born in and live in Nigeria?

    What is your plan for our workforce? The rise of chronic disease outbreaks, massive emigration of the health workforce and commercial interests such as tobacco sabotage the health of many. The health workforce is leaving the country in droves and other countries are benefiting from the investments made in them. How can you create a Nigeria where health workers will get remuneration and job satisfaction they deserve, so they can provide high-quality care to meet the needs of our growing population? How will you prepare our health workforce to use new tools such as technology to fight infection and chronic diseases? Data, when used well, can be used to respond to outbreaks, can help us target areas of need, and help us monitor progress. Certainly, the giant of Africa is worthy of a system of health record keeping that is comprehensive and accessible throughout the health system so people can get the support they need.

    How will you transform our health system to deal with the challenges today? Nigeria’s population is changing. We are dealing with infectious diseases like malaria, as well as chronic diseases like diabetes. Our health systems lack infrastructure and an orientation toward dealing with the burden of both communicable and non-communicable diseases, and preventing the cause of disease rather than just treating it. As the causes of death transform, we need not just one-off treatments but prevention, and clear plans to work with not against or despite communities.

    What is your plan to insure ALL Nigerians? Sickness strips so many Nigerians of their dignity and pushes them into unemployment, poverty, and even taking their children out of schools. If available insurance does not cover people outside of the private and public sector, if it does not include the informal economy, such as tailors, drivers, mai guards, cooks, market women, traders, etc. then it defeats the purpose of managing risk for all. Insuring all Nigerians will allow the population to get care before they fall sick and will allow them manage their risks before they develop into devastating conditions like heart attacks.

    Do you have a unifying vision for the health sector? We know that all sectors – planning, health, environment, education need to come together to drive health gains. A child living under the bridge cannot be healthy if they do not have housing first. It will be very difficult for an unemployed person who cannot take care of their family and whose housing is not secure to achieve good mental health. Employment, traffic, no electricity, noise from generators, and day-to-day stresses in Nigeria can lead to elevated blood pressure. What is your plan to ensure that what people need to be healthy in their living environments is provided them, instead of simply treating diseases that could have been prevented?

    How will you deal with mental health issues? Mental health is vital. About a third of Nigerians live with a mental health condition and it is mostly poorly diagnosed or managed. These conditions can be managed with the right awareness and comprehensive forms of care so that people can still be functioning members of their communities and contribute to society.

    What is your plan to create safe roads for all citizens, pedestrian and motorist alike? Good roads are a public health issue. Road traffic injuries are among the top 10 killers of people, causing death and disability. Many Nigerians do not have cars, so this includes – pedestrian signs, sidewalks, streetlights, traffic signs and accessible streets for those with disabilities. Good roads reduce death, disability and improve physical activity which reduces the rate of chronic diseases like heart diseases.

    What is your plan to work with the private sector for health? To meet the needs of the growing population, we need the private sector. This does not mean short-sighted public-private partnerships where people run away with money, there are no results and no one is held accountable. I mean a plan with incentives to make sure the private sector partnerships are merit driven, have a comprehensive systems lens, are evidence-based, well evaluated and held accountable for results, service delivery, community engagement and value creation.

    What is your plan to build an inclusive society and economy? Violence is killing so many of us and leaving us with deep traumas. What is your plan to protect marginalized communities like the poor, women, slum dwellers, the disabled, sexual minorities, all of whom have their health compromised by systematic discrimination and violence? What is your plan to stem conflicts due to ethnic and religious conflict? What is your plan to take care of the poor?  In election season, the poor become seen as human again. But what is your plan to really count them and stop meting violence to them in the name of development? Poverty is not a crime.

    What is your plan to ensure that the average Nigerian child, can have an uninterrupted educational trajectory? Birth to age five is a critical time in the life of a child. It shapes their trajectory for the rest of their lives. Education is a predictor of health outcomes across the life trajectory. The literacy of the mother affects the health outcomes of their child. Education is also related to social mobility and the child’s future health outcomes. Yet, many of our public schools are in deplorable states and are producing equally deplorable results, not achieving their objectives or preparing students for today’s global economy.

    They say that a country gets the leaders it deserves. I want to give you the opportunity of a lifetime – the opportunity to be a leader worthy of leading the Giant of Africa. So what is your plan for the health of Nigerians, if we elect you?

     

    • Dr. Mogo is a Doctor of Public Health.

  • Presidential aspirant kicks over govt funding of ranches

    A presidential aspirant in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mr.Peter Dio, has faulted Federal Government’s planned funding  of cattle ranches in some states of the federation.

    Dio claims ranching is private business and should be left to individuals to run such as they deem fit.

    Declaring his presidential aspiration in Jos, Plateau State, the Michika, Adamawa State, Dio said: “government cannot spend public funds to establish ranches for herdsmen who are private businessmen like other farmers.”

    He also promised to fight corruption with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) deployed to handle corruption cases in the public sector and  the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission  (ICPC) tasked with  corruption in the private sector.”

    Dio also plans to abolish indigeneship  so that Nigerians can claim the citizenship of their towns or states of residence.

    He added: “I would also work to uplift our health care facilities to enable  commoners and public figures receive health care here in Nigeria.”

  • How I’ll restore NANS’ glory, by presidential aspirant

    How I’ll restore NANS’ glory, by presidential aspirant

    Aspirants have been gearing up for the forthcoming National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) election. A student of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa (OFFA POLY), Lukman Salaudeen, who is gunning for president, said he would change the status quo in NANS, if elected. TEMITOPE YAKUBU writes.

    ElECTIONeering is in the air at the Federal Polytechnic, Offa (OFFA POLY). Among those vying for the office of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) president is Lukman Salahudeen.  He said the association deserved a new lease of life.

    If elected, Lukman, the immediate past Senate President of the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS), promised to revive, restructure and reposition the apex students’ body to reclaim its lost glory.

    At a ceremony held at the OFFA POLY Students’ Union Building for his official declaration, the presidential hopeful said his mission was to promote unity and make NANS accountable to students.

    He said: “NANS is at a critical juncture in its history and it requires revival, restructuring and repositioning to reclaim its lost glory. Our generation, as young active citizens, must join hand with like-minded bodies to reposition NANS to work for students owners. I am offering myself for this onerous task of rebuilding of our NANS.

    “In the last decade, the body has deviated from the principles of activism for which it was known during the military days. There is need for complete overhauling of the body. Also, it is time for non-students to leave the affairs of the body to active students as way of building confidence of students in NANS.”

    Lukman said his mission was to stop factionalisation of NANS and the use of the students’ body as a puppet by political parties. He said his mission was to revive the spirit of unionism as it was when NANS was known as the National Union of Nigeria Students (NUNS). This, he said, will better reposition the body to reflect a progressive ideology.

    He said: “My aspiration is borne out of passion to correct bad impression about our generation as youths and students who have been perceived as docile and not ready for leadership. My passion is to lead my generation out of the woods and focus on rebuilding the NANS of our dream.”

    At the ceremony, the ex-NPAS leader unveiled a five-point agenda, which he tagged Birth of freedom and new direction.

    He said his administration’s priority would be to support NANS’ legislative arm in reviewing the group’s constitution to meet the modern reality. He added that he would build synergy among the associations and other students’ groups to forge a common front.

    He said: “It is pertinent we restore the integrity of NANS and make it a platform that will truly represent the wishes and aspiration of students. I plan to reactivate relationship with students’ unions and youth groups to improve quality of education. We will work with labour unions and bodies of Vice-Chancellors, Provosts and Rectors, to build confidence in the association. We want to end an era where NANS is seen as a platform for political contractors parading themselves as NANS leaders.

    Lukman said his policies would promote financial prudence and entrench transparency in the running of the association’s affairs. NANS leadership, he said, needs to be progressive and accountable to members.

    He promised to embark on revenue generation to make drive the students’ body financially independent. He said there was the need for NANS to have a direct remittance of its revenue to its account from Treasury Single Account (TSA) operated by the Federal Government, adding that his administration would ensure fair and equitable sharing of revenue among all arms of the association.

    He said: “The responsibility of NANS to students is to promote their wellbeing on and off campuses and fight unjust government’s policies that may put students in hardship. We want to engender intervention programmes on campuses to ensure uninterrupted and smooth running of academic calendar. We will fight for the reinstatement of all victimised students’ leaders and promote the culture of students’ unionism.

    “Under my watch, NANS shall strive to increase employability of students’ leaders, particularly SUG presidents with clean track record of service. My leadership shall step up a campaign for the eradication of disparity between Higher National Diploma (HND) and Bachelor of Science (BSc), which I started during my tenure as NAPS Senate President. We will champion campaign for adequate funding of education in line with UNESCO’s recommendations.”

    Others programmes promised by the aspirants included the review of Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) Act to alleviate the suffering of students during industrial attachment.

     

  • Buhari: Challenges of a presidential aspirant

    Buhari: Challenges of a presidential aspirant

    Gen. Muhammadu Buhari has joined the presidential race, ahead of next year’s general elections on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN examines the qualities that distinguish him from other aspirants.

    Former Military Head of State General Muhammadu Buhari has declared his intention to contest next year’s presidential election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) before a mammoth crowd in Abuja. The massive turnout and the presence of notable politicians across the six geo-political zones underscore the popularity of the former military ruler.

    Buhari is one of the founding fathers of the APC. His former party, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), was one of the three major opposition parties that came together to form the APC. The two others are the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the All Nigeria Peoples’ Party (ANPP).

    Before the APC was registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Buhari had made his intention to contest  election  known. He also promised to step down, if the party finds a more qualified and acceptable candidate. His declaration at the Eagle Square, Abuja, is seen as a fulfilment of that personal ambition.

    Buhari is not a new entrant in the presidential race. He was the presidential candidate of the defunct ANPP in 2003 and 2007 and that of the CPC in 2011. His ambition constitutes a threat to the interest of the ruling party because of his popularity and acceptability, particularly in the Northwest and the Northeast and lately, the Southwest. The reason is that both the Northwest and Southwest constitute 51 per cent of the registered voters.

    His opponents came up with speculations recently that the former military ruler has dropped his ambition to contest  on the grounds that he is too old and had agreed to step down for the younger aspirants like Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso and the Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal.

    But, his associates have responded, denying that the former Head of State never made such statements. For instance, former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, dismissed the idea that he is too old, saying those canvassing those ideas were only trying to be mischievous. He said: “To those who say Buhari is too old, I will only quote the words of the former President of America, the late President Ronald Regan who said; “we are not going to make age an issue in this campaign because we do not want to be accused of taking advantage of the inexperience of our opponent.”

    Sylva added: “Buhari is not in this race for himself. He is in the race because of us, the younger people. Gen. Buhari brings experience to this campaign. He brings integrity to this campaign. We are very happy that he has decided to come out of retirement to help us stabilise this country, so that the younger ones can carry on the development of this great nation.

    Another associate of Buhari, Mr Rotimi Fashakin, said Nelson Mandela was over 70 when he was elected President of South Africa. According to him, Mandela laid a solid foundation of good governance on which his successors have been consolidating. He said Nigerians should throw away the notion that age is not on the side of Buhari. “He will be 71 in December and age is not against him. The people using age as variable for competence for good governance are out to confuse people,” he said.

    On whether Buhari is a religious bigot as being depicted by his political rivals, the APC chieftain, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said Buhari have friends and political associates who are Christians. Ogbeh said, if Buhari is a bigot, people like him, Chief John Odige-Oyegun, Prince Tony Momoh and George Akume will not be in the same party with him. He described those making such insinuation as enemies of Nigeria who did not mind dividing Nigeria along religious lines.

    But, given the revelation about how he raised the money for his nomination form, a lot of people are already asking whether Buhari can come up with the financial resources to undertake electioneering campaign. This question is pertinent because electioneering campaign in Nigeria, especially the presidential elections costs a fortune. Buhari, unlike most of his colleagues who retired from military, never used public office to enrich himself. Apart from being the Head of State, he was also at different times  the military governor of the defunct North Eastern State, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, the  Chairman, Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Resources (NNPC) and the Chairman of the defunct Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF). He came out of these positions unscathed. He declared recently at a public function that “as a retired military officer, I live on pension.”

    That explains why he had to take loan from his bank to pay for the APC nomination form. One of his confidants said Buhari is the only former Head of State or President that has not corruptly enriched himself while in office. “Apart from his house in Kaduna and Daura, his home town, he has no other buildings. All he used to tell us is that, whatever wealth you acquired on this earth, you would account for its source on the Day of Judgment,” the confidant said.

    According to the source, the  presidential aspirant is not a money-bag politician, who can afford to bankroll his campaign expenses. He relies on the support and contribution of party members and associates who believe in what he stands for. A case in point, he said, was the six million naira raised by the APC members in Bauchi at a rally to assist him in paying for the nomination form. He said that was how previous elections were financed.

    He said: “Buhari is obviously the most popular of all the Northern aspirants. He is the only person that can win the whole Northwest, Northeast and a great deal of North central. In 2011, he ran for the Presidency on the platform of a party (CPC) that came into being only 10 months to the election and still got 12 million votes. You can imagine what his performance will look like on a bigger platform like the APC. Buhari has no money to share or bribe the electorate, but he has the charisma and integrity that endear him to the people”.

    In military circles, Buhari is admired for his uprightness and self-discipline. He was selected to lead the country by middle and high ranking military officers after the military coup that overthrew the civilian administration of former President Shehu Shagari on December 31, 1983. He justified the military’s seizure of power by castigating the civilian government as hopelessly corrupt. His government was revered for its ability to keep the country afloat by making progress through sheer economic ingenuity, even when it rejected the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan because he felt the conditions were not favourable, particularly the idea of devaluing the naira. His government was praised for its gain in reducing inflation by refusing to devalue the nation’s currency, curbing imports of needless goods, curtailing oil theft and using counter trade policy to barter seized illegally bunkered crude oil for needful goods.

    As an elder statesman, Buhari  makes his views known on national issues and offer suggestions to government, despite being in opposition. For instance, he warned President Jonathan against the gale of impeachment of opposition governors which, he said, would not augur well for the survival of a fragile nation like Nigeria or the survival of its young democracy.

    He said: “Whether or not President Goodluck Jonathan is behind the gale of impeachment or the utilisation of desperate tactics to suffocate the opposition and turn Nigeria into a one-party state, what cannot be denied is that they are happening under his watch, and he cannot pretend not to know, since that will be akin to hiding behind one finger.

    “In my capacity as an elder statesman, rather than a politician, I have spoken to President Jonathan in private over these issues, but indications are that the strategy has not yielded positive results. I cannot, just because I am an opposition politician, fail to do what is expected of me as an elder statesman to rescue our nation in times of great trouble and palpable uncertainty.

    “History will not be kind to me if I sit back while things turn bad, just so that no one will accuse me of partisanship. Yes, I am a politician. Yes, I am in the opposition. Yes, there is the tendency for my statement to be misconstrued as that of a politician rather than a statesman. But, I owe it as matter of duty and honour, and in the interest of our nation, to speak out on the dangerous trajectory that our nation is heading.

    “I can say, in all sincerity, that I have seen it all, as an ordinary citizen, a military officer, a Head of State, a man who has occupied many other sensitive posts and a politician. I have been a close participant and witness to Nigeria’s political history.

    “Our country has gone through several rough patches, but never before have I seen a Nigerian President declare war on his own country as we are seeing now. Never before have I seen a Nigerian President deploy federal institutions in the service of partisanship as we are witnessing now. Never before have I seen a Nigerian President utilise the common wealth to subvert the system and punish the opposition, all in the name of politics.