Kogi poll: SDP aspirant, Akpoti pledges revival of Ajaokuta steel company

A governorship aspirant on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Kogi state, Natasha Akpoti, has submitted her form to the secretariat of the party with a pledge to use her influence as Governor to ensure the revival of the moribund Ajaokuta Steel Company.

She said it was important to turn around the fortune of the multi-billion naira steel complex because of its ability to drive the nation’s economy.

Akpoti, who spoke after submitting her nomination and expression, said she has been at the forefront of the advocacy for the revival of Ajaokuta steel complex and would continue until the goal is achieved.

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“The moment I resume I am going to work closely with the presidency. Though it is a federal project, even at that, the State Governor has enormous influence in ensuring that as the host State the greatest steel plant in Africa realises its dreams beyond its moribund state today.

“This we will do so that it can generate revenue, thousands and millions of jobs for the unemployed youths. Through that, we would be able to curb poverty and we would be able to drive a new Nigeria again.

“Nigeria that is industrialised, rich, robust and would be a pride of west Africa and Africa at large.”

She said the next election would enable Kogi state to make history and change its fortune for good, saying she was ready to serve the people of the state.

“The past few weeks the good women and youths of Kogi State walked into this premises and picked the nomination form for the Governorship election and brought that to my house and urged me with all sincerity that I should run.

“After that, I embarked on consultation and prayers upon which were positive and that culminated in the submission of this form.”

Akpoti, however, urged the people to support her ambition to govern the state, saying she was ready and prepared to lift the state and rescue it from the present leadership.

She said, “Support us because we are making history, Nigeria in its years of democratic experience has never produced an elected female Governor.

“Women have contributed their quota in shaping democracy today and we are not pleading this time around we are asking our due right in nation-building.”

She said she is not a politician, but actually a political reformer, saying the way people view politicians is that they have taken the country way back into what it is today.

“I very much don’t hold the words of a typical politician to heart. I have always told my people if God gives me a chance to rule my people, I have always wanted to be the kind of leader my children would look up to and be proud, that is what I am going to be.

“So I am not a politician I am just in the political space in the main time to sanitise the politics so that people of this upbringing would not fear anymore to enter this political terrain because they feel it is too dirty.

“If we continue to shy away who is going there to clean it then we keep having the worst of us ruling the best of us?”