Date: 2018-10-25

The Labour Party Governorship candidate in Kwara State, Comrade Issa Aremu, has assured to defend the territorial integrity of Kwara State if he becomes the governor of the state in next year's polls. Comrade Aremu said this on Wednesday while speaking at a one day seminar on the engagement of political parties in Kwara State organized by the department of Politics and Governance of the Kwara State University, Malete. The foremost labour unionist said the population of the state stood at four point eight million when it was created in 1967, before parts of the state was carved out to Niger and Kogi States, pointing out that the population of the state currently stands at two point three seven million and pledged to bring back the old Kwara. Comrade Aremu noted that Kwara state used to be one of the leading industrial states in Nigeria, but today the state is twenty eight on the list of States on Gross Domestic Products, saying that it is sad that States like Oyo, Edo and IMO had gone far above Kwara. The Labour Party governorship candidate also pledged to reinvent the industrial sector of the state, create jobs for the teeming unemployed youth and compulsory holiday jobs for the students as well as restore the dignity in public education. Comrade Aremu said the Labour party is based on ideology of humanistic, patriotism, democratic, socialist and promised to return power and wealth of the state in the hands of few individuals to the general masses. Also speaking, the governorship candidate of the National Rescue Movement Party, Pastor Kehinde Popoola Adeyemi, said poverty level in the state was as a result of political decadence and corruption, urging the youths to rise up and take over the governance of the state. Pastor Adeyemi noted that as agents of change, the youths particularly the students must be part of the struggle to bring back the desired change in Kwara Politics by harnessing all their potentials to be part of governance. The Governorship candidate added that the party was established as a template for the youth to achieve their political aspirations, calling on them not to be used by politicians as political thugs and agents of destructions. Other speakers are the governorship candidate of the Unity Party of Nigeria, Prince Sunday Oladoye and Alhaji Gidado Alakawa who is the representative of the Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Alhaji AbdulRasaq AbdulRahman.

While declaring the seminar open, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor AbdulRasheed Na'Allah, said the University is determined to be at the Centre of the nation in providing solutions to challenges confronting the country.

Professor Na'Allah explained that presently Nigeria does not need war or crisis but peace and development in all ramifications because it is far behind in all sectors.

Also speaking, the Convener of the Seminar and Head of Department, Politics and Governance, Professor AbdulRauf Ambali, said the programme was organized to sensitize political parties and their candidates on their expected roles in leadership.

Professor Ambali said the Seminar would also help the University to set template for the political class and design model for accountability, transparency and good governance.