Victor EzejaAddressing the root cause of security crisis in Nigeria is tied to tackling poverty and unemployment in the country, said Ekiti State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi.
Dr. Fayemi stated this today while formally declaring his interest in contesting for the position of president in the 2023 election under the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC).
The NGF Chairman had in the last one month been traversing Nigeria in consultation with stakeholders on his intention to run for the number post in the country.
Speaking at the event held at Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, on the theme, “Unveiling My Agenda” the NGF Chairman stated that there is a clear nexus between poverty, unemployment and insecurity, and declared that he would draw a holistic socio-economic master plan to upgrade human capital in all sectors as a way of boosting economic empowerment.
This he argued, would help to address issues that predispose people to criminalities.
“I stand before you today, in total humility and with all sense of responsibility, to solemnly declare to all within our party and Nigerians at large, my decision to accept my name to be put forward for consideration by the APC leadership and membership as the party’s standard bearer in the upcoming contest for a successor to President Muhammadu Buhari,” Fayemi stated.
If elected as president, he said, “as the standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), I will be leading the implementation of a holistic and integrated response to the multifaceted security crises confronting us.
Speaking further on tacking insecurity, Fayemi stressed on overhauling the systems and operations of the security forces in the country to give best result in reducing crimes to the barest minimum.
“To this end, the retooling of our armed forces, intelligence agencies, and border guards will be pursued in tandem with an overhaul of our policing system and the phasing in of bold universal social policies that will enable us decisively tackle poverty and upgrade human capital and security.
“In this perspective, the deliberate expansion of employment opportunities, youth entrepreneurship, skills development, and innovation, support to the weak and vulnerable such as we have done in Ekiti State for the elderly with Owo arugbo and Ounje arugbo and women’s socio-economic empowerment will be treated as just one dimension of our comprehensive response to the costly security crises that have destabilised us, as will the pursuit of broad welfare policies that are embedded into a new state-society bargain and the empowerment of citizens.
“The adoption of broad socio-economic measures that enhance our capacity to fight insecurity must be done at the same time as investments in reinforcing the deterrent capacity of the state through its armed forces, security agencies, and policing authorities.”
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Governor Fayemi noted that considerable work is already being done by the current administration in upgrade and expansion of infrastructure, adding that his prime objective would be to accelerate it through both public investments and involvement of private sector through strategic partnerships.
Fayemi said he consulted widely both within the APC and various stakeholders at different level of the society.
He urged Nigerians to optimistic and see the need for cohesion to build a better and stronger nation.
“I embarked on these outreach visits neither with prior assumptions about what they would yield nor with any sense of personal entitlement. However, after a careful consideration of where we are as a nation and the many perspectives which are emerging about the challenges, old and new, which we must tackle and transcend, I am convinced that my entry into the race will offer our members and Nigerians the opportunity to examine competing visions for national rebirth in the best interest of our country.
“It is on the foundation of a clear vision of our national future accompanied by a carefully thought out programme of action that I present my candidature, fully convinced on the basis of what I have experienced, heard, and seen about the demands of the times and the aspirations of our people.
“It is my conviction that the agenda that I am proposing for our country is one which will find favour with APC members and win resounding traction with the generality of Nigerians.”
He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his leadership of the party and the entire country.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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