The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that governing a State like Kaduna is for serious minded persons and not for “comedians”.
The Kaduna State chapter of the APC in a statement, opined that the State has moved forward under the leadership of Governor Nasir El-Rufai and the people will not allow PDP’s incompetence to take the State backward again.
According to the party, “The APC has observed that with the next general elections approaching, all sorts of characters are trying to disrespect the people of Kaduna State by treating the contest for the next governorship of the state as if it is a grand comedy. Our party knows that the people of Kaduna State have seen consistent good governance since 2015 and they will not allow nonentities to ruin it for them.”
Salisu Tanko Wusono, the publicity secretary of the APC in Kaduna State who signed the statement said, “the APC has established a new standard for governance in the state, setting the bar very high because that is what the people of Kaduna State deserve.”
He added that el-Rufai’s administration has made a positive difference in putting people first and changing Kaduna State for the better.
“The APC has changed the democratic game in Kaduna State, making politics and governance an arena for the serious and the accomplished. 2023 will further confirm that Kaduna State is not an arena for those who have never run anything, who do not have any understanding of development or any appreciation of governance as a serious undertaking.
“Our party is proud that the government of Malam Nasir El-Rufai has amply justified the confidence that the people have twice shown in him and the APC at the ballot box. The government of Malam Nasir El-Rufai has faithfully implemented the APC manifesto. And in so doing has changed Kaduna State for the better, in a way that has never been done before.
“The pacesetter APC government of Kaduna State has delivered progressive results for the people of Kaduna State on all counts. The urban renewal programme has changed the face of Kaduna city, and is changing Kafanchan and Zaria. These investments in infrastructure did not just start with the launch of the urban renewal programme in June 2019.
“It is this Nasir El-Rufai APC government that on 27 May 2017 completed the Zaria Water Project that had been abandoned by two PDP governors after Governor Namadi Sambo who initiated it before he was appointed Vice President of Nigeria. Phases 1 and II of the Zaria Water Project have since been completed. With Phase III, the project is being extended to supply water to neighbouring local governments, besides Zaria and Sabon-Gari LGAs who were the first beneficiaries.
“Governor El-Rufai’s sense of purpose, clarity of vision and determination to solve problems ensured that he delivered Zaria Water within two years of assuming office.
“He cleared the mess of incompetence and indifference the PDP had displayed towards this priority project. Malam Nasir El-Rufai has infused a sense of hard work, commitment to results, boldness to confront challenges and transparency about accomplishments and setbacks into the governance of the state, refreshing qualities that differentiate the APC government from much of the sorry nonsense of the past.
“Led by Malam El-Rufai, the APC government of Kaduna State has attracted $2.8bn of investments into the state. Within less than a year in office, El-Rufai got Olam to break ground for the largest hatchery project in sub-Saharan Africa in April 2016 and the project was commissioned in September 2017 by President Muhammadu Buhari. The steel plant and iron ore mining complex in Gujeni, Kagarko LGA, the Tomato Jos farm and tomato processing plant in Kangimi, the OCP fertilizer plant and the Dangote-Peugeot vehicle assembly plant all testify to the hard work that has earned Kaduna State recognition as the number one state for doing business in Nigeria. These are projects creating jobs and business opportunities for the people of the state.
“In education, El-Rufai is repositioning the sector by addressing school infrastructure and the quality of teachers.
“El-Rufai has given substance to the idea that the children of the poor also deserve decent education.
“His government has made education free and compulsory from Primary One to the completion of SS3. Where the PDP was content to let over 20,000 pupils in one primary school in Rigasa to study under tents, the APC government has built new schools and more classrooms for them. Where 16 years of PDP neglect left most schools without desks, chairs, water supply and toilets, the APC has invested resources to reverse this trend. Where the PDP infected the ranks of teachers with many unqualified persons, the APC under El-Rufai is ensuring that only qualified persons can teach.
“Many policies in the health sector have been centred around expanding the access of poor people to health care services. El-Rufai launched the revamp of 255 primary healthcare centres, equipping them with tools to aid safer delivery and reduce infant and maternal mortality. Kaduna State has also launched a contributory health insurance scheme to reduce out of pocket expenses when accessing health care. El-Rufai has upgraded general hospitals and secured accreditation for Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital as a tertiary hospital for training doctors. Capacity in the Health sector has been expanded with more personnel and better equipment,” he said.
Listing the innovations that have enabled the APC to record these successes in governing Kaduna State, the APC spokesperson gave an example of the state’s internally generated revenue that has increased four times within five years, from N13bn in 2015 to N52bn in 2020.
This, he said, was achieved without increasing taxes.
