Kwara governorship candidates decry infrastructural level

THREE governorship candidates in the coming elections in Kwara have decried alleged infrastructural decay in the state.

The governorship candidates of Labour Party, African Democratic Party (ADP) and Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP), Comrade Issa Aremu, Isa Manzuma and Abdulmumin Ajia, who spoke at a governorship debate organized by Kwara Coalition of Business and Professional Associations (KWACOBPA) in Ilorin on Tuesday, said that the state suffers from infrastructural deficit.

The candidates, who said that many of the roads across the state had become deplorable, however, agreed with the current Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed’s infrastructural financing, promising to remove all forms of infrastructure deficit in the state, if elected.

“I will remove the current corruption and bottlenecks inherent in the current government’s infrastructural development. I will be transparent to Kwarans by telling them how their money is being spent.

“I will revive the tourism sector by putting people that have a passion for it. We will have tourism calendar. I will invest in the marketing of all our tourism potentials to the world”, one of the candidates, Dr Ajia said.

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Comrade Aremu said: “I joined the governorship race to promote economic prosperity and growth of my state. I have tried to uplift the plight of people across the world as a labour leader. It is time for me to the same for my people.

“Our party has five points development agenda. We will have a ten-year development agenda. To reduce the perennial energy problem in the state, we will make sure as much as possible, to have multiple sources of energy.

“We will get between 250,000 and 500,000 direct jobs from the tourism sector. We will also open up our roads in all the three senatorial districts. We will give our people the purchasing powers. I will be on duty to revive all our tourist centres in the state.”

On insecurity in the state, the frontline unionist said “I will get our get our boys to be gainfully employed. We will engage the services of traditional rulers to ensure security in their domains. Kwara under our watch will return to true ‘state of harmony.

To Alhaji Manzuma, ex-Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ilorin branch, promised to revive the famous Esie Monument in Esie, Irepodun local government area of the state.

“I also intend to reactivate the moribund Kwara Hotels, in which all of us are sitting,” he added.

Earlier, KWACOBPA Chairman, Dr Ahmed Raji said that “it is expected that the governorship candidates will use the platform to unveil their agenda for the private sector as encapsulated in their manifestoes and programmes.

“The economic and business agenda of the governorship candidates are therefore of strategic importance to existing investors and prospective investors. It is important for the private sector to have an insight into the thinking of the candidates on the trajectory for the state economy.”