Judex Okoro, calabar
One of the presidential aspirant in the platform of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, has said he will embark on massive road infrastructure in the South South and South East region of the country if elected President in 2019.
Bafarawa, a former governor of Sokoto state, and who stated this in Calabar during a courtesy call on Governor Ben Ayade to consult him on his aspiration to run for the office of the president under the platform of the PDP, said he is committed to tackling numerous challenges facing the country including security, healthcare, education, road infrastructure and revamping the economy.
He said, “I am aspiring to get the ticket of the PDP because I want to serve the people. I cannot be flying by air or stay in Abuja to see people on gallery purpose.
“That is why I took my time to tour the entire South East and South South states by road.
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“With the way and manner our roads are, most especially in the South East and South South region is very disheartening.
“I have decided to see things for myself so that when I am elected, I can know where to start from.
“Any leader who have human feelings and sees the road of this country, he or she will put in action to see that the country is being developed.
“I will do my very best if elected as president to address the roads in South South and South East.
“We cannot talk of economy when we don’t have good roads; this is where farmers’ exportation lies and when you expand roads, you expand business and building of the economy,’’ he stated.
According to him, the chances of PDP taking over from the APC in 2019 was glaring as PDP had restructured its house with a view of winning the 2019 general elections.
Speaking, Ayade commended the presidential aspirant for coming to the state by road, thereby crowning him with the title of `Nko of Cross River’ which means the `Rising sun of Cross River’.
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Ayade said: “With the recent Ambazonia crisis, a lot of tension has been created in the state. It is so bad that as of today, Cross River has over 4,000 Cameroonian refugees.
“We have about seven camps where we are keeping these refugees. It is so bad that the arm struggle has led to a situation where Cross River has become a recruitment ground for mercenary to prosecute the war in Cameroon.
“It is so bad that we have over 27 illegal routes to Cameroon and it has become a smuggling point for trafficking of women and kidnapping and Cross River is facing a classical challenge of insecurity.