Date: 2015-01-30

The people of Kwara have been promised participatory democracy, youth and women empowerment, mechanised farming, direct allocation of fund to local governments and abundance of potable water.

The governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara, Sen. Simeon Ajibola, made the promise during campaign at Bode Saadu, near Ilorin on Thursday.

He emphasised that he would execute the five-point agenda for the state if elected in the forth coming general elections.

He told the crowd that the commonwealth of Kwara would be used at all times for the people of the state.

``We shall encourage participatory democracy through consultation with elders, civil society groups and traditional institutions”, he said.

The governorship candidate also said his government would give special consideration to youths and women empowerment.

He promised to pay more attention to agriculture with a view to making Kwara state the food basket of the nation.

He said he would encourage mechanised farming among farmers as against the current traditional method of farming so as to greatly increase farmers’ output and welfare.

Ajibola said he would make the 16 local government councils in the state to function effectively as the closest tier of government to the people.

``Local governments’ allocation from the federation account would be released to them directly to enable them to cater for the peoples’ needs, welfare and infrastructure.’’

Ajibola said he would ensure that water flowed everywhere in the state, adding that a PDP-government would keep faith with the promises made.

He appealed to the people to vote for President Goodluck Jonathan, all PDP’s National Assembly candidates on Feb. 14 and also vote for him and the 16 House of Assembly candidates on Feb. 28.

Chairman of the PDP in state, Chief Iyiola Oyedepo, said the time had come to reclaim the stolen mandate of PDP from the usurpers in APC.

He appealed to the people to be patient as the much awaited freedom is around the corner.

He urged them to use their only weapon which was their votes to chase the APC out of the Government House.

The Chairman of Hausa Community in Kwara, Alhaji Mukhtar Tawakalitu, said the entire Hausa community in the state would vote for PDP.

He said the Hausas in Kwara had resolved to work for the victory of the PDP and all its candidates during the general elections in February.

Tawakalitu said that it was only through the PDP that the Hausa Community in the state could realise its dreams and aspirations.

He said that his people had been marginalised under the APC-led government in the state, adding that they did not benefit anything from the APC government.

The PDP governorship candidate for Niger State, Alhaji Umar Nasko, who also spoke at the occasion, appealed to the people of Kwara to vote massively for PDP in all the elections.

(NAN)