I will bring back development such as seen during Yar’Adua’s era in Katsina, says Jikamsh

*vows to make Katsina youths productive The governorship candidate of the National Rescue Mission (NRM) in Katsina State, Mr Abubakar Halilu Jikamshi, a Surveyor has promised to return the state back on the path of development last witnessed during the tenure of former President Umaru Musa Yat’Adua as the state governor He assured the teeming youth population that his first task if elected the governor of Katsina State is to ensure that Katsina youths are engaged in viable productive venture. Stressing that meaningful development enjoyed by the people of Katsina State during the Yar’Adua’s administration has not been paralleled, Jikamshi said the incumbent APC government in the state has further pauperized the people especially the youths whose potentials are being undermined by lack of entrepreneurship opportunities. He decried the large economic wastage and infrastructural decay under the current administration of Governor Bello Masari, but pledged to reverse the trend and ensure Katsina youths take the driving seat to reap the full dividends of democracy. Jikamshi made the disclosure in Abuja during a media briefing to announce the flag off of his governorship campaign rally in Katsina. The aspirant appealed for the support of the citizens of the state to become governor in 2019 so that the state can witness accelerated socio-economic development last seen during the days of late President Umaru Yar’adua as governor. Jikamshi, a former Director at the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) Abuja, Fellow and immediate past Vice President of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors International, said that Katsina has a lot of potential in agriculture, mines, tourism, education and engineering, among others, pointing out that only a visionary governor can harness the resources and make the state a number one agrarian state in the country. He said that he had held consultations among various political interests across the state and was convinced that he had solutions to some challenges facing the state. The governorship candidate disclosed that he left APC to contest on the platform of NRM after the party’s failure became irredeemable. He also rolled out several strategies he will apply to bring killings in Katsina, mostly carried out by cattle rustlers to an end According to him, the change that people are expecting from APC was not realisable, “So we decided to form a new party under the chairmanship of Senator Dansadau to salvage the situation.” Jikamshi promised that if he was elected as the governor of Katsina State, he would work hard to ensure a positive resolution of teaming unemployment of youth in the state. He said that most insecurity challenges and killings from Boko Haram, kidnapping and the rest are as a result of lack of education and unemployment of youths. He said, “I urge the citizens to contribute to my quest to better the state as a governor in 2019; it is not about me, but about us and the development of the state. “It is not also a contest, but collaboration because I need a good team to solve any problem; my major concern in Katsina is to make our youth productive, and will also make qualitative education available to all the citizens of Katsina State.” He pledged that if he is elected governor, he will raise the income base of farmers through mechanisation and agricultural extension services as a means of earning more local and foreign exchange to citizens. “I will also encourage the participation of local companies in road and building construction and re-engineer government processes for efficiency,” he added. Tunde Opalana, Abuja