From Tunde Omolehin, Sokoto
The All Progressives Congress governorship (APC) candidate for Sokoto state, Hon Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, has promised to actualise the Illela international market that borders Niger Republic if elected governor of the state.
He gave the assurance while addressing party supporters who converged on Illela local government during the APC campaign rally in the area.
Aliyu said the idea for the proposed market was nurtured during the immediate past administration but was abandoned by the present PDP administration in the state despite the economic benefits it will have on the State’s revenue
“Be rest assured that if APC formed the next government in the state your dream of having an international market will be a reality by the grace of God,” he said
Aliyu further said Illela being a border area with Niger Republic plays a significant role in the economic development of the state, hence the need to give the area the deserved attention.
“I want to assure our traders that our government will make give them all the necessary support they need in order to boost their businesses “Aliyu added
While in Gada local government, the APC candidate promised to give the agricultural sector the attention it deserves for the benefit of peasants in the state.
He said if elected, the APC government would ensure agricultural mechanization by providing the necessary tools for enhanced food production.
He added that fertilizer, insecticides and herbicides would be made available and affordable to farmers.
“Sokoto is an agrarian community with a large number of our population practising one form of agriculture or the other so the government needs to support them,” he stated.
“We are aware that the present administration took loans amounting to millions of naira in the name of fertilizer purchase, but to our surprise, not a single farmer was a given even a measure of fertilizer,” he added
“This is unacceptable, we must know where the fertilizer is or take a refund of the money claimed to have been used for the purchase of the commodity,” Aliyu said.
The APC candidate also promised to give irrigation farming the attention it deserves because of its significance in giving a lot of peasants a source of livelihood.
Alhaji Aliyu also pledged to complete all the uncompleted projects in Gada local government if he emerges victorious at the polls.
Also speaking, the chairman APC governorship campaign council, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko commended the people of the area for their unflinching support of APC and charged them to maintain the tempo.
“I will not forget the kind of support I enjoyed from this community when I was the governor, and after I left office,” Wamakko further revealed
Former Nigeria’s Ambassador to Tanzania, Sahabi Isa Gada gave an account of the numerous people-oriented projects executed by the Wamakko administration in the area.
They include water schemes, rural electrification, Health care delivery, education as well as agriculture.
He called on the people of the area to give APC their votes so they would continue to enjoy the dividends of democracy.
In both Gada and Illela, dozens of PDP supporters who decamped to APC were accepted into the party.