Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the 2019 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has said job creation for Nigeria’s teeming youth populace would help checkmate the security challenges being felt in different parts of the country.
The former Vice President stated this yesterday in Minna, the Niger State capita in continuation of his North Central campaign rally. Atiku who chided the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government for what he called its failure to deliver on the three planks of economy, security and anti-corruption, promised to revamp the economy via creation of employment opportunities, which he noted, would curtail the killings now ravaging the land.
“When it comes to the issue of economy, we have lost more jobs, over 10 million jobs, to the extent that Nigeria has been declared the headquarters of poverty in the world. This is a record. Have they fulfilled that promise? Now I want to promise you that if you vote PDP, we will restore the jobs that had been lost. You either get a job or get a business to do.
Atiku also noted that infrastructures in the state were carried out by the PDP administrations, stressing that in 2015, the people were deceived to change for the APC, which in his words, was a regrettable mistake.
“Let me remind those of you who perhaps were born in 1999 when PDP started governing Niger State. The roads infrastructures that you have in Niger State were constructed by the PDP government. The schools that you have attended were built by PDP government. The hospitals that you are attending were built by PDP government.
“And then in 2015, they came to tell us that PDP did not do anything. We should change. And we changed. And they promised to fight corruption, to improve our economy and also to secure our country. Have they achieved any of these three? When they came in, there was insecurity only in North East. Today, there is insecurity in North West and North Central. And we have lost more lives than at any other time in the history of this country in peaceful times. They have failed as far as security is concerned.
Speaking earlier, Senate President, Bukola Saraki urged Nigerians not to allow themselves to be fooled twice, adding that all promises made by the APC in the build up to the elections have not been fulfilled.
“Election is about referendum. A government that has been with us for three and a half years and promised us three things, we are going to decide as Nigerians if they have performed. They can continue, if they have performed and if not, they must pack and go home.
“They said they will provide three million jobs for the youths. Today more than 10 million youths have lost their jobs,” he said.
Amidst the applause that greeted his speech, the Senate President barked into a microphone, “have they performed?” to which the crowd yelled, “no.”
Dignitaries at the well-attended rally included former governor of the state, Babangida Aliyu; his Kano state counterpart and current lawmaker representing Kano Central, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso; former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, PDP governorship candidate in the forthcoming governorship election in the state, Umar Mohammed Nasko; Senate Minority Whip, Phillip Aduda among others.
