By Ismail Auwal
The All Progressive Congress (APC) has told Senator Shehu Sani that governing a state like Kaduna is not for comedians.
This is in response to the Senator’s interest in running for governor of the state under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and his vow to clean up El-Rufai’s “mess”.
The APC in a statement signed by the party Publicity Secretary Salisu Tanko Wusono said ‘lt is not for idle bloggers that think that decades of scavenging off the woes of people qualify them for leadership.”
According to the statement “Since May 2015, the APC has placed Kaduna State on the path of sustainable progress and development through policy and legislative reforms and concrete visible projects.”
The Publicity Secretary also noted that the APC has established itself as the party that has made a positive difference, putting people first and changing Kaduna State for the better.
However, the statement said that “with the next general elections approaching, all sorts of characters are attempting to disrespect the people of Kaduna State by treating the contest for the state’s next governorship as if it were a grand comedy.”
“Our party knows that the people of Kaduna State have seen consistent good governance since 2015 and they will not allow nonentities to ruin it for them.
“The APC has changed the democratic game in Kaduna State, making politics and governance an arena for the serious and the accomplished.
“2023 will further confirm that Kaduna State is not an arena for those who have never run anything, who do not have any understanding of development or any appreciation of governance as a serious undertaking.
“Our party is proud that the government of Malam Nasir El-Rufai has amply justified the confidence that the people have twice shown in him and the APC at the ballot box.”
“Thus, it said that the government of Malam Nasir El-Rufai has faithfully implemented the APC manifesto, saying, and in so doing has changed Kaduna State for the better, in a way that has never being done before.”
“For instance, it noted that the led El-Rufai, APC government of Kaduna State has attracted $2.8bn of investments into the state within less than a year in office.”
“El-Rufai got Olam to break ground for the largest hatchery project in sub-Saharan Africa in April 2016 and the project was commissioned in September 2017 by President Muhammadu Buhari,” the statement reads.
“Also, the steel plant and iron ore mining complex in Gujeni, Kagarko LGA, the Tomato Jos farm and tomato processing plant in Kangimi, the OCP fertilizer plant and the Dangote-Peugeot vehicle assembly plant all testify to the hard work that has earned Kaduna State recognition as the number one state for doing business in Nigeria.”
“His government has made education free and compulsory from Primary One to the completion of SS3. Where the PDP was content to let over 20,000 pupils in one primary school in Rigasa to study under tents, the APC government has built new schools and more classrooms for them.”
“Where the PDP infected the ranks of teachers with many unqualified persons, the APC under El-Rufai is ensuring that only qualified persons can teach,” he added.
“The state’s internally generated revenue has increased four times within five years, from N13bn in 2015 to N52bn in 2020. This was achieved without increasing taxes. “
“The APC government under El-Rufai paid civil servants as much as 100% of their salary as December bonus. Kaduna State was the first to pay the new minimum wage, starting from September 2019.”
“This government also increased minimum pension to N30,000 monthly for retirees on the old defined benefits scheme. As PENCOM records show, Kaduna State is one of the few states that are faithfully implementing the Contributory Pension Scheme. This government has paid over N14bn in arrears of pension and gratuity that the PDP left unpaid since 2010.”
“The APC government led by Governor El-Rufai has brought innovation and progress to Kaduna State, even as it continues to clear the mess the PDP left behind in all sectors.”
“Governance is a serious activity, meant for those with a track record of serious endeavours, vision, values and clear policies,” it declared, the statement reads.
