Mr Opeyemi Ajagun, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Chairmanship Candidate, in Yagba West Local Government, Kogi, has advised electorate to vote wisely in electing candidate with capacity to address poverty at the grassroots.
Ajagun, who was former President of the National Association of Okun Students (NAOS), gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.
He urged the people of Yagba West to consider the Saturday local government election in the state as an opportunity to elect credible leaders committed to good governance and development.
He said that the outcome of the Dec. 12 local government election would determine if the people truly wanted to be liberated.
“I am encouraging the people to come out on Saturday and vote for the SDP and my candidature.
“Let us stop dying slowly by making wrong choices or by selling our votes to our tormentors.
“Vote wisely, vote for honest, vote for accountability, vote for selfless leadership, vote for Ajagun, vote for SDP,” he said.
Ajagun said that if given the opportunity to serve, he would address series of challenges in the land including poverty through human empowerment and infrastructure development via the implementations of a five-point agenda.
The agenda, according to him, include education, agriculture, sport and youth empowerment, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and security.
He said that if elected, primary education in the local government would be free, saying he would fund it through resources from agriculture and other endowments of the local government.
“We will work out modalities to introduce education funding, providing conducive environment for learning, including renovation of dilapidated school structures and classrooms, improved incentives for teachers.
“We will also award scholarship to high flying students to tertiary institutions, university, polytechnic, colleges of education and technical schools and vocational training,” he said.
Ajagun also pledged to develop strategies for mechanised farming, create agricultural cooperative societies for farmer to easily access funds.
“We will provide improved seedlings, farm inputs to alleviate the suffering of farmers, creating employment and food security,” he said
On sports and youth empowerment, Ajagun promised to improve sports and involve the youths who were talented in various sporting activities.
He added that he would also prioritise empowering youth through ICT trainings to create employment and arrest youth restiveness.
Ajagun said that the programmes would be implemented to enhance poverty alleviation, youth development, encourage innovation, improve educational, health, agricultural and technological development.
“Yagba over the years has prepared me; it is now my turn to give back to the society by serving my people meticulously and meritoriously.
“I have decided to serve Yagba West people.
“As a unionist and a product of political struggle, I will ensure total liberation and emancipation of the masses by ensuring an equitable, just and fair society is achieved under my leadership,” he said. (NAN)
