The Gubernatorial candidate of Young Progressive Party (YPP) in Taraba State, Ahmed Umar Salim, has said his party will spring surprise in the forthcoming elections in the state following the massive support it is enjoying among youths.
He said during an interview with North-East Trust that if youths, who formed 70 percent of the population of the state, would translate their support to the party into votes during the election he was going to win the election.
According to him, the YPP is a party for the youths and in Taraba youths have massively joined the party and from all indication they are ready to change politics of the state by edging out old politicians who have dominated the political scene for years.
He said politicians in the so-called bigger political parties were recycling themselves in the political arena and cornering resources for themselves and members of their immediate families.
“You can’t find their children and wards as political thugs or ballot boxes’ snatchers, all those engaged for the negative vices are the children of the common man.
“The children of the rich and highly placed politicians are studying in reputable institutions abroad and after their graduation they are offered employment in lucrative agencies while children of the poor roam the streets without jobs,” he said.
Salim said his party’s ideology was to free Nigerians youth from being used and dumped by the political elites and ensure effective utilization of the youths for productive ventures.
He also said he was unhappy at the rate youths were engaging in political violence and other social vices in the state and accused some politicians of encouraging the dangerous trend.
The candidate stated that his main focus was youths and the development of infrastructure adding that he would channel resources for the overall development of the state.
He said his administration would also pay greater attention to improvement of standard of education at all levels adding that skills and entrepreneurship training will be encouraged to encourage self-reliance among the youths in the state.
Salim also promised to open up the rural areas of the state to enable easy movement of goods and services from remote parts to urban centres.
“As a business man I will ensure promotion of trade and establishment of small and medium scale industries to utilize agricultural produce as well as raw materials available in the state.
He said present and past administrations have failed to woo investors to utilize various potentials abound in the state, which was responsible for the high rate of unemployment among youths.
“Unless effort is made to attract the private sector to involve in viable ventures the state will continue to be backward despite huge human and natural resources which God blessed the state with ” he said
Salim said a YPP government, if elected, would do its best to address the insecurity and high incidents of communal and religious conflicts which has been going on in the state for many years.
He, therefore, enjoined the youths to vote for him and all the party’s candidates contesting various positions in order to have positive change in the state.
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