Akure stands still for Jonathan

Akure, the Ondo State capital yes­terday literally stood still for sev­eral hours as President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Namadi Sambo and national leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stormed the city for the party’s presi­dential campaign rally.

Ondo State governor, Olusegun Mimko had in hon­our of President Jonathan and visiting leaders of the PDP, declared the day as a public holiday, thereby allowing civil servants and students to attend the campaign rally.
The roads leading to the Democracy Park, venue of the campaign rally, was blocked by security personnel, who also mounted surveillance on all major areas in the city.
Also, shops and other com­mercial places close to the ven­ue of the campaign rally were shut down, even as banks in all parts of the state did not open for transactions.
Addressing a mammoth crowd of PDP supporters, that converged on the venue of the campaign rally as early as 8.00am, President Jona­than who arrived the venue at 11.20am, promised that his administration would create two million jobs yearly if he emerges the winner of the Feb­ruary 14 presidential election.
He said over 1.8 million Nigerian youths enter into the unemployed market yearly, saying that the two million jobs he proposes to create will cater for all the teeming unemployed youths on yearly basis.
The President declared that his administration will focus on education, agriculture and youth empowerment, saying that the transformation agenda of his administration will fur­ther be boosted during his sec­ond term administration.
He also promised to develop the youths through education, stressing that as an education­ist, he knows the significance of education and could not af­ford to rubbish the sector.
The President who hinted that his administration had em­ployed several youths, said his government has provided elec­tronic libraries in many prima­ry and secondary schools in the country, saying that “politics is all about people and I cannot be a leader if I fail to do what my people want.”
“I appeal to all Nigerians to vote for the PDP in the forth­coming general elections in order to enjoy better living. We are ready to strengthen youths through education and devel­op our economy beyond the imagination of any individual or group of people,” he stated.
While calling for the sup­port of the People of Ondo state, President Jonathan as­sured that he would do every­thing within his capacity to ensure that the internal crisis within the state chapter of the party ends, adding that all the factions of the party in the state will soon become one.
Also speaking, Vice Presi­dent Namadi Sambo said Jon­athan is building a better coun­try for all Nigerians to benefit, noting that the achievements of the PDP led government in Nigeria cannot be over empha­sized.
In his remarks, Mimiko noted that Jonathan remains the best person to lead the country, saying that his level of education and knowledge would take the country to a higher level.