Jonathan in Ebonyi, promises to support rice production, youth employment

Ebonyi State recently played host to President Goodluck Jonathan when his campaign train stormed Abakaliki, the state capital to canvass for vote for the February 14 presidential election.

Those who accompanied the president to the state included his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan; the Vice President,  Namadi Sambo and his wife, Amina; the wife of the Senate President, Helen Mark; the Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu; former Governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi; TAN coordinator, South, Chief Ifeanyi Uba; the Director-General, PDP Presidential Campaign Organization, Senator Ahmadu Ali; Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; former Governor of Ebonyi State,Dr Sam Egwu; the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, PDP NWC members, among other dignitaries.
President Jonathan addressing unprecedented large crowd at the Abakaliki township stadium said that his administration was passionate about agriculture, saying that in the next four years the country would stop the importation of rice.
He as a result of  of the current drop in oil price the country has put modalities in place to ensure diversification of the economy, pointing out that Ebonyi State would play a key role in achieving the objective.
He said that one of the states targeted for rice production was Ebonyi as the state has been in the fore front of the rice production which has made it popular over the years.
“The government is always passionate about agriculture; Ebonyi State has been one of our pillars in terms of rice revolution; the Federal Government has a target that in the next four years, we should stop importing rice into this nation; one of the states we are relying on to perform that miracle is Ebonyi State; Abakaliki rice is already very popular.
“Agricultural revolution is to make sure that we improve on the quality of our farming, the quality of our farm produce and Ebonyi State will surely key into the agricultural revolution where we are trying to train young graduates that will go into commercial agriculture; for Ebonyi State, that will create jobs.
“One of the greatest problems we have in Ebonyi State just as Bayelsa State is that there are no industries and almost the government is the employer of labour and we must work with the people of Ebonyi State to stimulate and encourage micro, small and medium industries and also big industries and that is the only thing that we will do to create jobs and improve on our agriculture,” he said.
The president promised that his administration would provide more jobs for Nigerians instead of prisons so that the rate of crimes perpetuated in the country would reduce drastically.
“It may be a dream, but I’m always dreaming that one day that we will not even require prisons in this country; one day working with all the LGAs and state governments and private individuals, we will be able to create lots of opportunities for all Nigerians, so that the crime rate will reduce and Nigerians will not be thinking about prisons but they will be thinking about schools,” he said.
President Jonathan said his administration had established 12 new conventional universities, two specialized ones and provided scholarships to enable young people utilize their potential for the purpose of securing their future and that of the nation.
“That is one of the reasons we are giving such scholarships so that in future, Nigerians will be able to produce some of our basic needs; countries that are of our levels have advanced so much in their defense industries; I remember, Maitama Sule always says that the defense industry in Nigeria with that of Brazil were established at the same time and while that of Brazil is manufacturing aircraft, our own is busy manufacturing chairs and we say we must change that and for you to change that, you must change the manpower to do that.
“This government is focused; we know where we are going and we know where we want to take this country to; the young people should join us and nobody should deceive you or buy your votes; from 1960 we gained independence till today, people have been buying and selling votes and the country is drifting backward.
“People will come and tell you what you want to hear and we don’t believe in that and we have said that whatever we promise ask us and when we say that we will train Nigerians that will really change this country in terms of our industries, science and technology, we have already started training the people.
“In terms of expanding the space for learning, we know that we need more university spaces and we established 12 conventional universities and two specialized universities; one for Maritime Academy and one for Police Academy; we are also improving on the quality and that is why when you go to some of our universities, they are doing open heart surgeries now; they are doing kidney transplant and others because of the kind of equipment we are providing and not only the quantity but the quality and that’s why we are saying that this campaign this time around is for the young people.
“You have to join and support PDP because PDP is the only party that has shown the example and is totally committed to the development of the young people and not to exploit the young people; I have always promised the young people that those who commit offences must be treated in line with the laws of the land, but it is not in the interest of Dr Goodluck Jonathan and Namadi Sambo to begin to build prisons everywhere; our interest is to build schools,” he maintained.
The PDP presidential candidate assured the people of the state of federal government’s participation towards the award and completion of its projects, stressing that Ebonyi State would always get what is due to it at every point in his administration.
“Let me assure the people of Ebonyi State that whatsoever is due to you, my government will do for you. Of course, we have done quite a number of things which other speakers have mentioned but the key thing is not what we have done or what we intend to do;  but that whatever is due to the salt of the nation, the salt of the nation will surely get.
“Ebonyi State luckily has lots of solid minerals; presently or probably the salt is the only mineral that had been attempted for mining but there are other areas, of course, you know that with the drop in oil, the government from this year upward will surely diversify the economy and look into other areas; solid minerals is one of the areas we will surely go into; Ebonyi State will be one of our centres of activities; you will work with us, so that jobs will be created for our young people.
“We have done quite a number of projects in Ebonyi State; we have done a total of five federal roads; one is completed, in few months one will be competed; while others have reached advanced stages of completion; the Deputy Senate President mentioned some while the Secretary to the Government of the Federation mentioned others, so let me not bore you with that.
“Of course, through the UBEC we have intervened in a number of secondary and primary schools; but today, just as the PDP National Chairman said, our campaign this year is for the young people and women because we believe that the future of this country is in the hands of the young people; if I should tell Nigerians that myself and my age mates are those that will one day take Nigeria to the moon, then I’m lying.
“Our time is almost gone; our own is to create an environment for the young people, that is why when we came on board including in Ebonyi, we created 12 new universities in the states that do not have federal universities; we are also training special brains among those with first class in the highly technical areas; we select among them every year about 100 and 130 and we sending them to the 25 best universities in the world,” he said.
Also speaking, the Director General of PDP Presidential Campaign Organization Dr. Ahmadu Ali thanked the people of Ebonyi State for their mobilization to support Jonathan’s second term in office.
He enumerated the projects Jonathan had embarked upon in the state, urging the people to vote for him in the forthcoming presidential elections.
The National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu while handing over the party flag to the gubernatorial candidate of the party in the state, Chief Dave Umahi, urged the people to support him and also vote for the party’s candidates at the polls.
Mu’azu also called on the people of the state to collect their permanent voters’ cards to enable them vote during the elections.
The Secretary to the Government of the  Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim thanked the president for the laudable projects embarked upon in the South-East and Ebonyi State in particular, saying that the president deserves support for a second term.
Others who spoke at the rally included the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, former governor of the state Dr. Sam Egwu, who called on the people of the state to vote for the party during the February polls.
The rally which witnessed a large turnout of the Ebonyi people ended with a sad experience for Governor Martin Elechi who was not allowed to make any speech as the PDP members constantly booed him for allegedly wanting the party to lose in next month’s election.
The State Deputy Governor and PDP governorship candidate, Engr. Umahi in his speech commended Governor Elechi for supporting him politically, saying that the governor made him state party chairman from where he picked him his deputy slot.
His words: “I’m very grateful to God and Governor Elechi for using him to make me what I am today, he made me party chairman and later made me his deputy. I promise that I will not fail the people of the state, I will rule the state with fear of God, if elected.”