Former Minister for Youths and Sports and Peoples’ Democratic Party candidate for Kwara Central Senatorial District, Mall. Abdulganiyu Bolaji Abdullahi has revealed that there is a need for new ideas to take Nigeria out of the current socioeconomic and political predicaments and make it work again.
Speaking at a media parley with the Association of Kwara Online Media Practitioners on Monday in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, The PDP Senatorial Candidate noted that at this critical point of our national existence, people should not run for office in the name of chasing political clouts but the readiness and ability to contribute their quota in making the country work again.
He said, “It is becoming so expensive to live in any part of the country, from healthcare, transportation, education, and all other sectors. The cost continues to skyrocket while the quality is falling. An average Nigerian can hardly survive on N500,000 monthly income in recent times.
“I am not claiming to have the biggest ideas, but I am saying that going forward, we can (let us) promote big ideas. we shouldn’t just be campaigning about building hospitals or schools but how to deliver quality, cost-effective and efficient healthcare system, education, and transportation system etc, that would make life better and easier for the people.”
Abdullahi declared that his ‘Big Ideas campaign is solutionary not elitist’
“As an Omoluabi, I know what poverty is. I grew up in Oke Anifowoshe. My father was a Tailor. My mother was a Food Seller. My Big Ideas is solutionary and not elitist. In our group, we believe in seeking solutions to the problems facing the downtrodden. How can we deliver healthcare to the dwellers? How can we provide portable water to rural dwellers? How can the school pupils from rural areas know how to read and write?
“In the current situation of ours, building a hospital without seeking on how to reduce the cases of our health challenges is the most foolish thing to do. The big idea is for preventive healthcare that would even reduce our national expenditure on health and save us money to serve the people better.
“We should be able to measure the significant cases of health challenges in our hospitals not only giving a facelift to the hospital structures. We need to have the humility to challenge the way we’ve always done things, so we don’t continue to have the same results. We must do things differently if we desire a positive change.”
He, however, tagged his ‘LED’ agenda if elected as the Senator representing Kwara Central to include Legislation, Empowerment (especially in the areas of Education and Human Capital Development), and Distributive Politics.
Responding to questions about his sojourn as Kwara state Commissioner for Education, which has been subject of controversy, Abdullahi said “At no time did I slap any teacher. How will I do such? I had requested for the rumoured teacher to come out but it was all false. In which school did it happen? Who are the colleagues of the teacher? Who was the headmaster?
“As a Commissioner, I spearheaded the killing of corruption in Kwara SUBEB and TESCOM. We had people who illegally deduct teachers’ money, we stopped them. These corrupt officials won’t be happy with us. It is a price we have to pay for positive change. I never did teachers in Kwara any wrong, what I did for them was goodness in the interest of our children and the results were evident”, he concluded.