A governorship aspirant and former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ahmed Aliyu Wadada, has revealed his plans to return primary schools to local government authorities for effective and efficient management.
Wadada said this was done in the past and the schools were efficiently run.
“I will champion the actualisation of local government independence, where allocation from the Federation account will be managed by the ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs without the state government interference,” he said.
The former lawmaker made this known while addressing journalists at the NUJ Press Centre in Lafia shortly after he submitted his letter of intent to the APC state Exco and declaring interest to run for the number one office in the state.
He expressed displeasure over the decay in the educational system, especially at the primary school level, which he said the past and present set of leaders had neglected.
He pointed out that the state of the education at that level had become shameful and that “posterity will judge all those that had the opportunity to revive the sector but instead dis- abuse it.”
According to him, apart from embarking on sectoral rejuvenation that would boost the economic development of the state, he would prioritise human capital development through the provision of social amenities and upgrading of primary health clinics in all wards of each of the 13 local government areas of the state.
Making his position clear on the issue of revenue generation, the Keffi-born politician said as a former lawmaker and first capital market committee chairman of the House of Representatives, he had the capacity to create more windows for revenue generation.
He disclosed that he was already relating with the Cuban government for a partnership with the state government.
Wadada regretted that some government businesses had not been functioning while other state- owned investment companies were under utilised and even alleged to have been put on sale.
“I honestly do not know that some government businesses are no more in existence as you are revealing to me. However, it is your responsibility as journalists to inform the public. So, you have a duty here to the public of Nasarawa State. Having known this now, I assure you that when I eventually clinch the position of governor of the state, we will rework the conditions attached to agreements, but I’m seriously not aware that this is what has happened,” he said.
When asked about the agitation by people from the Northern zone to produce the next governor of the state, Wadada said he would never support any zoning formular because it was not only undemocratic, but also
archaic.
According to him, “I owe my brothers from the Akwanga zone respect, but let me remind them that we had never agreed on any zoning formular since 1999. If senator Ewuga from the northern zone had not contested along with Senator Adamu, then I would have respected the plea. But those from the north had always participated along with others from other zones. So, why now? I have no respect for zoning of political positions in a democratic system. So, it has nothing to do with my aspiration.”
