MR Alex Ladan, the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) governorship candidate in Plateau has promised to ensure price stability in the sale of agricultural products and encourage value addition to the products in the market if elected.
Ladan made the promise on Tuesday in Jos at a media forum organised for party candidates by the Correspondents’ Chapel, Plateau Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He expressed concern that the impact of commercial farming was abysmally low in the state, in spite of the fact that farmers made up the majority of people living in the agrarian community.
According to the candidate, boosting agriculture will discourage dependence on the oil sector and facilitate more developmental projects.
“In Plateau, we rely solely on subsistence farming when we have great potential for commercial production of our crops.“
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“We want to provide a platform where farmers have profits for their products through the provision of a platform for price control.
“ We want to embark on mass production of tiger nuts and Avocado which are highly demanded, not only locally but internationally.
“ We want to produce four containers of tiger nuts weekly which will accelerate the establishment of agro-processing factories and create jobs for unemployed youths,“ he said.
Ladan decried the under-funding of critical agencies saddled with the responsibility of restoring peace and security in the Plateau, saying that the development would impede rapid development in the state.
“Operation Rainbow, the state security platform with more than 4,200 personnel is underfunded.
“The Plateau Peace Building Agency, established to meditate on reconciliation through dialogue, took off operations without a budget. It is grossly underfunded to discharge its duties,” he said.
He said such issues must be addressed through a deliberate commitment to the development of human resources; provide the enabling environment for the agencies to discharge of their statutory responsibilities to boosting socio-economic activities.
Mr Paul Jatau, the Chairman of the NUJ, Plateau Council, said that all party candidates would be held accountable on their electoral promises by the media professionals.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ANN gubernatorial candidate is the youngest in the race in Plateau.
The 39-year-old candidate is a miner, businessman and a community developer.
Earlier, Mr Aminu Idegu, the Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, said the platform was meant to provide an opportunity for party candidates to face members of the public who needed to make an informed choice in the forthcoming elections
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