I Will Tackle Insecurity If Elected President, Says Makarfi

John Shiklam in Kaduna
Former National Caretaker Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi, has said he will bring an end to the growing insecurity in the country if elected president in 2019.

Speaking yesterday during a meeting with  PDP stakeholders in Kaduna State, Makarfi said he would put a stop to the orgy of killings, kidnapping and banditry if elected president.

He said Nigerians would be better off if he emerges as  president because of his wealth of experience in governance.

Makari said after consulting the party at national level about his political ambition, he decided to come home to Kaduna to intimate his supporters at the state level.

“I have consulted the party and I thought it wise to come to my own base and the stakeholders to affirm to them, just as they read on the pages of newspapers, even though, a formal declaration has not taken place where programmes and how they would be implemented would be read out.

“But like I had earlier said, if nominated by the party and elected by Nigerians, my priorities would be the issue of insecurity and stopping the killings in the country.

“Addressing the issue of national unity and promotion of what binds us together, addressing the issue of unemployment and creation as well as redistribution of wealth,” he said.

Speaking further, Makafi said: “When you say you have raised our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 7 per cent, yes, it is possible, but who benefited from the increase? That is the question!

“So, when you create wealth, it is only meaningful when it is legitimately and evenly distributed. You distribute wealth by creating employment, good paying jobs, not temporary jobs that people are paid peanuts and you begin to wonder whether the money being paid is transport money or a living wage.”

He stressed the need for cutting the cost of governance and “redistribute the savings, so that, we can create the middle class” pointing out that the middle class in any society creates more wealth than the upper class; they create employment.
“They will say PDP has done nothing, but we have record of performance everywhere. We have record of performance at the legislative level and we have record of performance of managing diversity among party men and women.

“This is home coming, so I am here so that you and I can take on the task beyond the shores of Kaduna State,” he said.
Also speaking, the state Chairman of the PDP, Hassan Hyat, declared that the stakeholders in the state have endorsed Makarfi for the presidential nomination.
Hyat said the stakeholders would work hard to ensure Makarfi emerges as the PDP standard bearer.

He noted that Makarfi, having served as commissioner, governor of  the state for two terms between 1999 to 2007 and a senator for two terms, has all it takes  to provide good leadership for the country.
Hyat said with Makarfi, the PDP will reclaim power in 2019, and urged  party members to gear up towards defeating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

In another development,
Makarfi has expressed sadness over the outbreak of violence and resultant loss of lives and properties in Plateau State.
In a statement by his spokesman, Mukhtar Sirajo, Makarfi described the incident as unfortunate, unnecessary and condemnable.
“Senator Makarfi believes that even though disagreements are normal in any human setting, the civilised way of resolving such disagreements is by communicating with one another through constant and continuous constructive engagement,” it said.

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