MANIFESTO FOR MY CANDIDACY FOR THE OFFICE OF MEMBER FEDERAL HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REPRESENTING GASHAKA, KURMI AND SARDAUNA FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY, NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP) POWER TO THE PEOPLE MY NAME IS GILBERT GILLS NYANGANJI FROM SARDAUNA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF TARABA STATE. A FORMER SENIOR SPECIAL ADVISER TO BAUCHI STATE GOVERNOR, MALLAM ISA YUGUDA ON CONSERVATION & TOURISM AND MEDIA CONSULTANT TO OSUN STATE GOVERNOR RAUF AREBGESOLA. WITH 14 YEARS OF ROBUST EXPERIENCE WITH NCF-NIGERIA, WWF-UK AND WCS-USA, AS PROJECT MANAGER, PROJECT BIOLOGIST, RESEARCH ASSISTANT AND FIELD RESEARCHER, WORKING WITH COMMUNITIES IN GASHAKA, KURMI AND SARDAUNA INCLUDING ADAMAWA, BAUCHI, NIGER, AND BORNO STATES RESPECTIVELY ON CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, I AM AN ALUMNUS OF THE PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA INTERNATIONAL VISITORS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM WHICH UNDERSTUDIED DEMOCRACY, BIODIVERISITY, TOURISM AND GOOD GOVERNANCE IN WASHINTON DC, UTTA, NAVADA, FLORIDA, SOUTH DAKOTA AND CHICAGO AS CASE STUDY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I HAVE WORKED IN GASHAKA, KURMI AND SARDAUNA FOR OVER A DECADE; I UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE AND KNOW OUR ISSUES... I AM THEREFORE LOCAL, HAVE NOTHING TO OFFER BUT CREDIBLE LEADERSHIP, TOIL, TEARS AND SWEAT. TARABA STATE IS NATURE’S GIFT TO THE NATION HUGELY BECAUSE OF GASHAKA KURMI AND SARDAUNA FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY. OUR CONSTITUENCY HAS THE NATURAL HUMAN AND ECONOMIC RESOURCES THAT CAN SUSTAIN TARABA STATE AND NIGERIA AT LARGE. ARABLE LAND FOR COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION OF RICE, YAM, CASSAVA, BENNISEED, SUGARCANE, MAIZE AND GUINEA CORN, MINERAL RESOURCES AND ATTRACTIVE TOURIST SITES IN GASHAKA, COCOA, RUBBER, TIMBER, PALM PRODUCE, BANANA & PLANTAIN, AND MINERAL DEPOSITS IN KURMI, HUGE COMMERCIAL DEPOSITS OF BLUE SAPPHIRE, COPPER, SUSPECTED GOLD AND OTHER MINERAL RESOURCES, TEMPERATE FRUITS, VEGETABLES, TEA, COFFEE, LIVESTOCK, RECREATION AND TOURISM IN SARDAUNA. HOWEVER, WE ARE STILL NOT FAR FROM WHERE WE HAVE BEEN SINCE INDEPENDENCE. I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE LOST OUR BASIC FUNDAMENTALS SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE AND UNTIL WE GET BACK TO THAT POINT, WE WILL NEVER GET THERE. WE USE TELEPHONE HANDSETS, COMPUTERS, VEHICLES AND OTHER EQUIPMENT WITHOUT KNOWING HOW THEY ARE PRODUCED. WE DEPEND ALOT ON GOVERNMENT AND CAN NOT SIMPLY HELP OURSELVES AND OTHERS. THIS FOR ME IS VERY DISTURBING AND THREATENS OUR FUTURE GREATLY. CURRENTLY, TARABA STATE GETS ABOUT N17.4 BILLION ALLOCATION EVERY MONTH AND AKWA IBOM GETS ABOUT N69.7 BILLION ALSO MONTHLY. THIS IS BECAUSE TARABA DOES NOT PROVIDE RESOURCES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO NIGERIA TO ATTRACT 13% DERIVATION WHILE AKWA IBOM AND OTHER NIGER DELTA STATES HAVE OIL. THIS MEANS THERE ARE BETTER ROADS, SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, MARKETS, HOUSES AND BETTER LIVELIHOOD IN AKWA IBOM THAN IN TARABA STATE. WE NEED TO KNOW THAT NATURAL RESOURCES ARE CREATED BY GOD AND THAT THEY LAY DEAD AND BECOME ALIVE ONLY WHEN WE HARNESS AND DEVELOP THEM FOR OUR BETTERMENT. PRESENTLY, WE KEEP FIGHTING FOR THE LITTLE FUNDS WE GET WITH OUR TEAMING YOUTHS WITH NO JOBS, POOR AND HARD WAY OF AQUIRING EDUCATION, BAD ROADS AND LOTS MORE. IF YOU HAVE BEEN TO GASHAKA, KURMI OR SARDAUNA YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHAT WE HAVE AND ARE WASTING. WE HAVE BEEN BRAIN WASHED AND DO NOT BELIEVE IN OURSELVES THAT WE CAN CREATE WEALTH FOR OUR PEOPLE AND A BETTER LIVELIHOOD. BELIEVE ME, WE MUST START LOOKING INWARDS AND USE WHAT WE HAVE TO GET WHAT WE DO NOT HAVE. WHILE IN THAILAND A COUPLE OF WEEKS BACK AND COULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT I SAW; SIMPLE BUT EFFECTIVE EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMMES THAT ARE DEFINATELY NOT BEYOND OUR ALLOCATIONS. TOGETHER, WE MUST REPLICATE THEM IN OUR CONSTITUENCY WITH TECHNICAL SUPPORT & PARTNERSHIP FROM OUR FRIENDS OUT THERE. WE’VE GOT THE LAND, WE’VE GOT THE PEOPLE, WE’VE GOT THE MONEY! FOR OVER 12 YEARS I HAVE CRISSCROSSED GASHAKA KURMI & SARDAUNA AS A WILDLIFE OFFICER AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPER FROM BARUP TO BURU, FROM BISSAULA TO FILINGA, FROM MAI IDANU TO INKIRI. THE LAND INDEED IS TRULY BLESSED. I BELIEVE THAT TOGETHER WE CAN TAKE A BOLD STEP INTO OUR FUTURE TO HARNESS AND DEVELOP OUR RESOURCES. WE CAN TOGETHER AGREE TO PARTNER WITH OUR PEOPLE TO DELIBRATELY ORGANISE AND SETUP INTERNATIONAL MARKETS FOR OUR COCOA, TIMBER, BANANA, PALM PRODUCE, BLUE SAPHIRE, AND OTHER MINERALS, FRIUTS & VEGETABLES AND TOURISM INDOWMENT TO EMANCIPATE OUR PEOPLE AND ERADICATE POVERTY IN OUR FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY. THIS IS THE POINT WHERE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD. IT IS NOT BEYOND OUR POWER. IT IS POSSIBLE. AMONGST SOME OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT I PROPOSE WE SHALL ACCOMPLISH TOGETHER, HERE ARE A FEW 1. I WILL INITIATE BILLS THAT WILL REFLECT THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR PEOPLE, WORK AND LOBBY OTHER HOUSE COMMITTEES MEMBERS WHO MAY BE HANDLING ISSUES THAT ARE RELATED TO MY CONSTITUENCY TO ENSURE THAT WE ENJOY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PRESENCE 2. I SHALL PROMOTE LOVE, UNITY OF PURPOSE AND PEACEFUL COEXISTANCE BY INTRODUCING TOWN HALL MEETINGS HOPEFULLY QUARTERLY, TWO TIMES A YEAR OR AS THE CASE MAY BE TO COLLECT INPUTS FROM WELL MEANING MEMBERS OF THE CONSTITUENCY, DISCUSS PROJECTS, DEVELOPMENTAL ISSUES, AND EVALUATE OUR PROGRESS 3. I WILL FOSTER A GOOD BROTHERLY WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GOVERNOR OF TARABA STATE, HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY MEMBERS REPRESENTING GASHAKA, GEMBU, KURMI, MBAMNGA AND NGUROJE CONSTITUENCY, LOCAL GOVERNMENT CHAIRMEN OF GASHAKA, KURMI AND SARDAUNA TO JOIN HANDS, MINDS AND HEADS TO AGREE ON SIMPLE BUT EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES IN SERVING OUR PEOPLE, JOINTLY PURSUING THE SAME DEVELOPMENTAL GOALS. 4. WE HAVE TO START WITH WHAT WE HAVE TO GET WHAT WE WANT. OUR COMMUNITIES ARE BLESSED WITH ABUNDANT NATURAL RESOURCES. WE HAVE TO FIND SIMPLE WAYS OF HARNESSING THEM. OUR PEOPLE ARE GENERALLY INDUSTRIOUS BUT LACK SUPPORT AND DIRECTION. THEREFORE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN COMMUNITIES AND EXPERTS OUT THERE IS ONE OF THE WAYS FORWARD. 5. WHEN I WAS GROWING UP TECHNOLOGY WAS NOT THIS COMMON YET WE HAD GOOD ACCESS ROADS THAT CONNECTED OUR COMMUNITIES (MANAGED BY ROAD OVERSEERS). TODAY, WITH ALL THE RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT WE DESERVE BETTER ROAD NETWORK. THE TRACTS ARE STILL THERE, THE MANPOWER IS AVAILABLE AND THE SKILLS EASY TO ACQUIRE. WE SHALL ENSURE THE INVOLEMENT OF COMMUNITIES WITH PROPER SUPERVISION TO BE PART OF THE RESTORATION PROCESS. 6. DUBAI IN THE 60s WAS JUST AN UNNOTICED FISHING COMMUNITY BUT TODAY HAS GROWN INTO AN INTERNATIONAL MARKET. WE SHALL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR BORDER GEOGRAPHY TO ENCOURAGE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF STANDARD MARKETS FOR OUR PRODUCTS ESPECIALLY CATTLE, TEA, TIMBER, COCOA AND SOLID MINERALS. WE SHOULD BEGIN TO CONSIDER ADDING VALUE TO OUR PRODUCTS BEFORE THEY GET TO THE OPEN MARKET. 7. WE SHALL ENCOURAGE THE CONSTITUTION OF COMMUNITIES INTO WORK GROUPS FOR EASY COMMUNICATION AND DELIVERY OF DIVIDEND OF DEMOCRACY. 8. WE WILL TOGETHER SEEK INVESTORS AND CREATE ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR THEM TO INVEST IN OUR CONSTITUENCY SO THAT WEALTH AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES CAN BE CREATED FOR OUR YOUTH. 9. TOGETHER WE WILL MONITOR ALL GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS AND PROJECTS IN OUR CONSTITUENCY TO ENSURE THAT OUR PEOPLE GET THE BEST. 10. WE MUST REDIRECT THE ENERGIES OF OUR YOUTH AND PEOPLE INTO SELF-SERVICING AND SELF-RELIANT VENTURES REQUIRING DELIBERATE EDUCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL ENTERPRISES. 11. WE MUST PROVIDE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT HEALTH CARE DELIVERY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS. 12. WE ARE GOING ALL THE WAY WITH YOU FOR YOU. SO HELP US GOD. VOTE ME GILBERT GILLS NYANGANJI FOR MEMBER REPRESENTING GASHAKA, KURMI AND SARDAUNA FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY. POWER TO THE PEOPLE.
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 03:32:54 +0000