Jonathan In Kano, Promises To Eradicate Polio In 2015 President Goodluck Jonathan and his campaign team were yesterday overwhelmed by the mammoth crowd that received them at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign rally in Kano. At the Polo Ground, venue of his 2015 presidential campaign rally in Kano, the president said he was greatly delighted at the massive crowd he met in the place despite the type of negative campaign by the opposition. He thanked Kano youths for donating the sum of N2 million for him to buy his party’s nomination form, even as he assured them that his administration would continue to make young millionaires out of Kano through innovative measures. “Let me use this occasion to appreciate the northern youths for donating N2 million for myself and the vice president to buy our nomination form. The donation was made in Kano and we have to use this opportunity to thank all of you for that,” Jonathan stated. The president said that the World Health Organisation (WHO) would declare Nigeria polio-free this year, following the concerted effort of his administration to eradicate the deadly disease which had crippled a lot of young children in the country, especially in the north. Recounting how Nigeria’s war against polio began, he said, “And as I am telling you now, in 2014 the WHO declared India free of polio and they declared Bangladesh free of polio. We would have been declared last year but because of our challenges. But let me reassure you that, insha Allah, WHO will declare Nigeria polio-free this year.” Noting that Kano is a state known for education, agriculture, commerce and industry, the president said it is for this reason that the present administration had remained committed to working with the people of the state. He added that the federal government is also ready to work with the incoming PDP governor in ensuring that the people do not just produce food, but also process and export food. “You can remember our agricultural programme; now we are producing rice and we will soon export rice from Kano,” he asserted. On his part, Vice President Namadi Sambo told the crowd to ignore the religious campaign against Jonathan and the PDP, saying that as the vice president to Jonathan, nobody could claim to be a bigger Muslim than himself who observed all the injunctions of Islam. He assured the people that contracts had already been awarded to extend various railway lines in the north to enhance business, commerce and industry in the area and beyond. In his remarks, director-general of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation and former PDP national chairman, Dr. Ahmadu Ali accused the Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of stealing PDP’s mandate and using it to deceive the people of the state. The crowd of people who hung outside the towering walls of the Polio Ground, venue of the rally, was more than the people who managed to beat security men and get into the place. It took the president’s convoy about one hour to meander through the crowd to leave the campaign ground. Along the road to the airport before and after the rally, it was the same scenario, as the number of people who stood by the road to welcome the president and bid him goodbye was massive. Meanwhile, President Jonathan yesterday paid homage to the Emir Kano, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi in his palace where he sought his blessing in the forthcoming presidential election. He informed the royal father, who was the former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), that he was in his palace to formally introduce himself, Vice President Namadi Sambo and other PDP candidates in the election. The president said, “I am here to seek your royal blessing and to reassure the people of Kano that PDP is totally committed to developing the country. When you talk of Kano, you talk of the Aliko Dangotes. We will work with the incoming government in Kano to produce young Aliko Dangotes, enhance commerce and create jobs.” Emir Sanusi welcomed the president for the visit and enjoined politicians to conduct their business in peace and avoid bloodshed, noting democracy was all about freedom of choice. “Democracy is all about giving people the chance to make their choice and so, there is no need for violence,” he said. Sanusi urged the people to accept the verdict after the election and rally around whoever emerges the winner. Leadership is not to intimidate, but to deliver – Jonathan President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday asserted that his government is the one that has delivered most on promises since 1979. He said a lot had been done by his government which transformed the social and economic life of the nation to a better one in Africa. President Jonathan, who stated this while speaking to the thousands of PDP supporters during his campaign rally in Jigawa State yesterday, added that many schools, roads, airport, power stations and infrastructure were built and rehabilitated, with health , economic, agricultural and empowerment policies designed and implemented under the Transformational Agenda of his administration, all of which reflected positively in the life of Nigerians. The president noted that, the current security and other challenges militating against the country required the collective effort of all Nigerians, adding that his government would continue to do more to overcome it. “My government believes in Nigeria’s unity and we would never ever allow anybody to jeopardize the survival of this nation as a single entity. Leadership is not all about intimidation, coercion or inciting people to attack others on political differences, but it is about delivering, and indeed we have delivered,” urging Jigawa voters to vote for him on February 14.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 05:54:11 +0000
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