BY NONYE JULIET EKWENUGO
Kaduna
The Civil Society groups working on health, education, agriculture, social protection, youth and women, persons with disabilities, budget, governance among others have engaged the candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Alhaji Sani Mahmood Sha’aban on his plans for Kaduna State if elected governor ahead of the March 11 gubernatorial election.
The ADP candidate during the engagement said “I have been persistent and determined to govern Kaduna State so I can help the people in the State to have a first-hand experience of what good governance is. People have been asking me to come and lead them and that was what happened in 2007 when I was elected as a member of the Federal House of Representatives.
“I am a successful economist. I will make sure people collect their pensions and entitlements as often as they are due for them.
“Even when the current administration may have done well in some areas, there are angles where human capital development has been forgotten that need precision intervention. For example, you have roads, but there are no people to ply those roads because many of them are jobless.
“Economic activities are killed. We need to create small medium-scale industries because they are the key driver of the economy. We will create means of livelihood, and employment opportunities for our teeming youths coming out from school every year.
“So, our administration will stand firm on consolidation of the existing good developments, innovation, and confirming what needs to be confirmed instead of probing.
“I will govern Kaduna under the fear of God knowing that even hereafter, whatever I do, God above is seeing me even when humans are not. Where I’m not supposed to keep what is not mine, where I suppose to pay Paul what belongs to Paul and Peter what belongs to Peter.
“Let me add that, I have also been involved in several nongovernmental organisations because I believe in human capital development and that whatever I have should go to the less privileged.
“I believe in the sincerity of purpose, commitment, and accountability. I don’t witchhunt people. I don’t believe in putting tears in the eyes of anybody. I don’t believe in making a family of anyone sad.
The ADP candidate therefore promised to be accountable to God and people of Kaduna State.
The moderator and Lead, PICaN in Kaduna, Mr. Yusuf Goje said, one of the objectives of the hybrid dialogue was to provide an interactive platform for candidates to publicly present the content and context of their blueprints beyond rhetoric to specifics.
According to Goje, civil society groups have gone beyond the idea of politicians just telling them something and doing another thing.
“Citizens want to know about the blueprint these political office seekers have developed beforehand because citizens are now better informed and asking their prospective and substantive political representatives relevant questions that can lead to good governance”.
Earlier, Acting Executive Director, LANW, Mrs. Hannatu Ahuwan, described the engagement as a new dawn in political space in the State saying, “for us, it is a good thing that political candidates are availing themselves to be engaged by the citizens.
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