Politics
Why I Am Best To Be President – Saraki
Immediate past President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki has said that the combination of his experiences gathered in the private sector, the executive branch of government and as the head of the federal legislature make him best to be the next president of the country.
Senator Saraki, a presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP spoke at a media outing in Abuja on Thursday witnessed by the chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, Senator Walid Jibrin, immediate past governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, former minister of Sports, Senator Ben Obi, Mr Bolaji Abdullahi among several political associates from around the country.
Saraki who was also escorted to the briefing by his wife while noting his experience as Special Assistant to the President in the Olusegun Obasanjo government, governor of Kwara State between 2003 and 2011 during which he served as chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, and subsequently as President of the Senate, noted that he had gearnered enough experience for the office of President.
Saraki also noted his unique role in uncovering the petroleum subsidy scam as a signpost of his capacity to fight corruption. He, however, noted as an irony that rather than be appreciated he without bowing was attacked for his principled stance in upholding the dignity of the National Assembly while he served as the presiding officer of the Senate.
“As Senate President, I defended the integrity of the National Assembly, sometimes, at great personal cost,” he said.
He said that in all the positions he occupied, he have was driven by the deep conviction to serve, to help, to proffer solutions and to leave behind a legacy of courage, hard work and unyielding commitment to making a difference.
“Perhaps more importantly, I have gone into each of these positions with clearly thought-out plans, decided well in advance, ” he said.
Saraki said that if elected he would assume the office of the president with a well-thought-out plans, implement them with courage and conviction.
He said that while he acknowledged the great efforts of all former Nigeria leaders over the years and thank them for their service to the nation, be believed more still needed to be done
He said that if elected he would ensure that the law on compulsory basic education was enforced and quality of teaching improved in all public schools.
He also promised to push for compulsory health insurance cover from the current seven per cent to 50 per cent in the first two years, while also addressing insecurity.
“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,” he said.
Saraki also pledged to diversify the economy to raise the revenue from the non-oil sectors to the same level as the country currently earned 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, because 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 neighboring countries, then the job is not done.
“And this is why I want to be President, because I will collaborate with the industries, and train one million of our youths in technical and vocational skills each year,” he said.
He said that 65 million Nigerians still live in slum in cities and urban centers, promising to deliver half a million affordable housing units every year to low-income earners and eliminate urban slums.
The former senate president also promised to invest massively in skills, cloud computing, data analytics, programming and other such in-demand skills to drive innovation and competitiveness among youths.
Saraki also promise to create the Nigeria Creative Industry Initiatives to protect leadership positions on the African continent and position Nigeria to be global leader in the cultural productions economy.
“As long as our university lecturers still have reasons to embark on strike; 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, because 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 fulfillment, 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,” he said.
Saraki said that his experience at the executive level and at the highest legislative institution of the country, made him a unique asset in democratic leadership at a time that called for consensus building, for cooperation and for compromise.
“I know how business works. I know how government functions. And I know how the legislature operates. This diverse experience stands me out.
“And I will bring the experience to bear in getting the most critical constituencies behind the tough decisions that we must take if Nigeria must survive,” he said.
Saraki promised to be a president for all, a bridge between the young and the old, a bridge between the private sector and the public sector.
“I will be the bridge between Muslims and Christians.I will be the bridge between north and the south. Because I am the Nigerian for all Nigerians,” he said.
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