Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso, presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), says Nigeria will be debt-free and education will improve if he is elected.
Kwankwaso made this known when he appeared at the Nigeria Election Debate Group (NEDG) and the Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON) presidential debate in Abuja.
He said that oil subsidies would also be removed because they did not benefit the common man.
“Palliatives will be created to ameliorate the plight of the poor so that it doesn’t create unnecessary hardship.
“I am committed to making Nigeria better. I will do an improved version of what I did in Kano for the nation when I become president.
“A president must be somebody who is upright, and that is the starting point. Then it goes to your family, your friends, and people around you.
“As long as you are not credible, as long as your hands are soiled, you don’t even have the moral right to say anything because all civil servants will take their cue from you.
“In a situation where your resources are coming halfway and the outlet is just there open for people in the National Assembly, civil service, and public service people to take money, that is most unfortunate, and somebody has to stop it.
“The only way to stop it is to have the right calibre of people; debt is unfortunate because people have no capacity to control spending, and it’s human nature; if nobody is keeping an eye on you, there is the tendency to steal.”
Kwankwaso said he would negotiate Nigeria’s debt payment, improve income, and ensure that money is going to the right places.
This, he said, will translate into improved social amenities and infrastructural development.
“I will block all financial leakage and wastage; there is so much money in the country that I can pay for everything.”
He said that education would improve under his watch; he would provide scholarships to youths and end strikes by meeting the demands of unions.
“Education is the trademark of the Kwankwasiya movement. We stand for education; that is our strength. There will be no dilapidated classroom.
“Every child will go to school, and we will tackle out-of-school children.
“I will prioritize education, and the outrageous exam fee will be addressed.”
Kwankwaso said his government would establish confidence in Nigerians and carry everyone along.
He said that he meant well for Nigeria and has started demonstrating it by being committed to issues that concerned Nigerians, which is why he was the only presidential candidate that showed up for the debate.
(NAN)
