Zamfara: PDP Governorship Aspirant Condemns Renovation Of Govt House With N12 Bn

A 2023 governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Zamfara State, Alhaji Abubakar Nakwada, has berated the renovation of the State Government House with a whooping sum of N12bn, saying that it was a wasteful expenditure.

He said that since Nigeria regained democracy from the military, Zamfara State has not witnessed any meaningful progress due to uncommitted and selfish leadership.

Addressing newsmen in Gusau, the state capital, Alhaji Nakwada said that that for over a decade, the State has been battling with lingering insurgency, saying that the armed bandits are operating freely in the State.

“Armed bandits gave forced many of our sons and daughters to flee their homes and take refuge in neighbouring states to live under unfavorable conditions,” he added.

“The situation has also forced many, especially in our rural areas to abandon their farmlands and their homes for uncertain life in the Internal Displaced Persons(IDPs) camps.

“This monstrous unsecured situation has affected virtually all other sectors of the economic activities. Our priorities have been set by the circumstances on the ground. We will give our maximum attention to solving the myriad of problems if voted into power ”

According to him, the protracted state of insecurity has resulted in the collapse of agriculture, which is the mainstay of our economy, pointing out that it is disturbing that a state than prided itself in agriculture and agro- industrial crops is now at the mercy of hunger and starvation due to resultant effects of armed banditry.

“However, we need to understand that the decline in agriculture had started long before the advent of insecurity due to lack of commitments by successive administrations to straighten the sector.

“Our education system is also in shambles and getting weaker on daily basis, our health infrastructures are an eyesore because they are in terrible shapes and hospitals often lack the most basic of resources and vital medical services to cater for the growing demands for good healthcare.”

The governorship aspirant noted that majority of the citizens of the state are confronted with low level of education, widespread poverty and wallowing in an unacceptable low quality of life”

According to him, “Of what benefit are government lodges in the whole 14 local government areas when the children are out of school? How does N12 billion naira befitting Government House benefit a mother and her children who have fled their homes and have just lost their husbands to bandits’ attacks?

“Thousands of communities have been displaced, properties worth millions of naira vandalized or looted and our youths are struggling in other states looking for a way of survival”

“Insecurity is on the rise with government’s commitment questionable, yet our copious fertile and productive landmass is of little or no benefit to our people due to the resultant insecurity in our state.”