Former Senate President and the presidential aspirant on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Bukola Saraki has declared for the presidency and unveiled his agenda.
Saraki, who hosted the media and friends to breakfast in Abuja, acknowledged that some things have happened in this country in the last couple of years that no one could have imagined possible only less than a decade ago.
He said: “We must all acknowledge that some things have happened in this country in the last couple of years that no one could have imagined possible only less than a decade ago.
“2023, therefore, presents us with a great moment of decision: the moment to choose hope over hopelessness; the moment to choose peace and security over fear and terror; the moment to choose unity and inclusion over division and exclusion.”
Unveiling his agenda, Saraki listed basic education, Security, health, compliance to the rule of law, and job creation amongst others as his areas of priority if elected as the President of the country.
He said: “As long as there is a child in Nigeria that cannot read or write, then the job is not done. And it is for this one child that I want to run for President because I will ensure that the law on compulsory basic education is enforced and the quality of teaching improves in all public schools.
“As long as there is an old woman in this country who cannot afford her prescription drugs for diabetes or malaria because she has no insurance coverage, the job is not done. And it is for this woman that I want to run for President because I will ensure that people like her are covered; and that we can push our compulsory health insurance coverage from the current 7 per cent to 50 per cent in the first two years.
“As long as a single village or forest in this country is controlled by terrorists, or bandits or any other criminal groups; as long as any of our citizens lives in fear; as long as our soldiers and other security agents do not get the right training, the right equipment and the right incentives, the job is not done.
“And it is for these citizens that I want to be President because I will do everything to protect the lives and properties of every Nigerian and everyone that live within our borders. I will ensure that all our men and women in uniform are well-trained, are well-paid and are well-equipped.
“As long as crude oil revenue remains the mainstay of our economy, and we remain so vulnerable to the volatility of the international oil market, then the job is not done. And this is why I want to be President, I will raise the revenue from the non-oil sectors to the same level as we currently earn from oil.
“As long as there are still people in this country who believe that they can break the laws of Nigeria with impunity; who think that crime has no consequences, then the job is not done. And this is why I want to be President, I will ensure strict compliance with the rule of law and guarantee consequences for crime.
“As long as we still import tilers, plumbers and electricians from neighbouring countries, then the job is not done. And this is why I want to be President I will collaborate with the industries, and train one million of our youths in technical and vocational skills each year.
“As long as 65 million of our citizens still live in slum conditions in our cities and urban centres, then the job is not done. And this is why I want to be President, I will deliver half a million affordable housing units every year to our low-income earners and eliminate urban slums.
“As long as Nigeria is not the tech hub for Africa, despite our incredible talents in this area, then our job is not done. And this is why I want to be President because I will invest massively in skills in cloud computing, data analytics, programming and other such in-demand skills to drive innovation and competitiveness among our youths.
“As long as our huge army of talented youths does not think that the Nigerian government can support their dreams, whether in entertainment, fashion or other creative business, the job is not done. And it is for these talented Nigerians that I want to be President because I will create the Nigeria Creative Industry Initiatives to protect our leadership position on the African continent and position us to be global leaders in the economy of the cultural production.
“As long as our university lecturers still have reasons to embark on strike actions; as long our universities still rank outside the top 1000 in the world, then our job is not done. And this is why I want to be President, I will ensure that our universities and higher education institutions are competitive and well-funded, adopting models and approaches that have served the most successful higher education systems in the world.
“As long as some of our best and brightest brains still relocate to other countries to find fulfilment, then our job is not done. And this is why I want to be President because I will develop targeted incentives to reverse the brain drain and keep our professionals in the country.”
