Atiku to revamp 24 million businesses ‘crippled’ by Buhari, PDP says

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation (PPCO) has assured that the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has perfected templates for massive job creation and business opportunities for Nigerians immediately he is elected into office as President.

According to a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by the spokesman of the campaign, Kola Ologbondiyan, the strategic template will revamp about 24 million businesses “crippled by the Buhari Presidency and put millions of Nigerians, who had lost their jobs under President Buhari, back to work.”

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It said the template is predicated on Atiku’s staunch confidence in Nigerians as hard-working people, with immense potentials to thrive in all fields of endeavor, given the right opportunity and conducive business environment.

According to the statement, part of the initiative, as already laid out in Atiku’s economy recovery plan, is to facilitate the establishment of a Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Venture Capital Fund, which in collaboration with the private sector will provide longer-term capital for targeted small firms across the states of the federation in various sectors of our economy.

This initiative, the statement said, will attract a minimum of N90 billion ($250 million) of direct private sector funding for Nigerians in small and medium businesses with strategic windows for increased production and grin various sectors of the economy.

The statement added: “This is in addition to a Financial Innovation Fund, with which Atiku Abubakar targets to incenticize commercial, micro-finance banks and other financial institutions for innovative solutions for credit to hard working Nigerians in small and medium businesses across our country.

“To ensure a seamless system, the plan articulates the establishment of a platform “for de-risking SME lending and increasing the SMEs funding window from N200 billion to N500 billion, as well as simplify the collateral registration process to unlock much needed finance for SMEs.

“This is in addition to the plan to reform and re-introduce the Small-scale Industries and Graduate Loan Guarantee, as well as the Small-Scale Industrial Credit Scheme among others to reduce stress on beneficiary businesses to thrive.

“This critical focus on the SMEs, where a greater population of Nigerians engage in various sectors, captures Atiku Abubakar’s plan to ensure rapid stimulation of the economy at the base, as well as accelerate the growth of the real sector of the economy to open up self and wage-paying job opportunities.

“This pathway conceptualised by Atiku Abubakar, in his policy document, will give rise to new jobs in commercialized agriculture, manufacturing, ICT, construction and operation of infrastructure (including transportation; electricity, water supply and sewerage, real estate and telecommunications), as well as growth in financial services.”

The PPCO therefore urged Nigerians to continue rallying with the PDP in “our collective quest to use the February Presidential election to end the Buhari misrule and vote in Atiku Abubakar as the next President to return our nation to the path of national cohesion and economic prosperity.”

Meanwhile, the presidential candidate has said he received with sadness report of the loss of Mrs Christy Yelick Dungtou and Mr Donatus Morkwap, members of one of his campaign’s support groups, in a road accident on their way to Shendam after the Jos rally of the PDP presidential candidate on Saturday.

A statement issued by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, in Abuja on Sunday noted that Mrs Dungtou died at the scene of the accident while Morkwap passed away as he was being conveyed to General Hospital, Barkin-Ladi.

It explained that Mr Kwalmi Julius, one of the injured whose condition is critical is receiving treatment at the Plateau Hospital, Jos while the other two have been referred to Shendam.

The statement added that Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign is in liaison with an official of the support group who has confirmed that the corpse of the deceased have been deposited at the mortuary in Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The former Vice President expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased even as he prayed for the speedy recovery of those still in the hospital.

The stasis he has directed his campaign organisation to spare no resource in ensuring that those still in hospital receive the best of medical care, while also instructing that the Campaign takes care of the burial cost of the deceased.

“The PDP presidential candidate acknowledged the great efforts and sacrifices of thousands of his support groups and millions of their members in our avowed commitment to Get Nigeria Working Again for the good of all and assures that their sacrifices will not be in vain,” the statement declared.