From Noah Ebije, Kaduna

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate and former vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has said that he has enough political experience to address the security challenges of the country.

Atiku appealed to Nigerians to be given the opportunity to bring his wealth of experience to bear and provide good governance for the country.

He added that it would be a mirage building economic prosperity in the country without unity and national security.

The candidate lamented that “Nigeria has never been overwhelmed by insecurity in all parts of the country. Sadly we have reached a point where the functions of the state have been usurped by separatists, bandits insurgents and terrorists.”

Alhaji Atiku stated this during an interactive session organised by the Arewa Joint Committee made up of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation (SABMF), Jamiyyar Matan Arewa (JMA) Arewa House (Center for Historical Development and Research) and Arewa Research and Documentation Project (ARDP) in Kaduna on Saturday.

The Presidential hopeful who assured that if elected president, he will develop Nigeria, and build a dynamic economy for prosperity, also promised to restore Nigeria’s unity and strengthen the security apparatus.

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He further lamented in this presentation to the mammoth crowds at the famous Arewa House that Northern Nigeria’s current social and economic challenges called for sobber reflection, adding that as a country we must build consensus with a prosperity restoration with strong comment and initiatives.

“I am committed to articulating and implementing the transformation and development agenda of a United, secured and prosperous country,” he said.

The former vice president also noted that Nigeria’s unity had never been threatened like now with an increasing number of Nigerians citizens openly challenging their allegiance to the country’s corporate existence through violent agitations and misguided demand for ethno-regional autonomy “because of widespread feelings of marginalisation and neglect”.

“Despite her vast resources, Nigeria has remained one of the poorest and most unequal countries in the world. Our economy is fragile and vulnerable. Job losses, eroding incomes and lack of citizens’ access to basic amenities have pushed more than 90 million people below the poverty line.

“The public education system is ill-equipped and has consistently underperformed keeping millions of our children out of school and producing graduates with skills and competencies which are not aligned to the needs of our communication and our industries.

“Incessant Industrial action by the academic staff union of Universities ASUU and other unions of educational institutions has undoubtedly affected the quality of our workforce with far-reaching consequences on the economy.

“Nigeria has continued to affect a faulty, complex federal structure with a high degree of centralisation at the centre. The federal government has succeeded in accumulating many responsibilities which belong to the other weaker levels of government the federal government appreciates along with these responsibilities, huge resources to the detriment of the states and local governments,” Atiku said.