From Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
A front line People’s Democratic Party (PDP) House of Representatives aspirant, Otunba Michael Olaiya Olobatoke, has called on youths in the country not to lay much emphasis on paper qualifications but rather to go and acquire necessary skills so as to be self reliant.
Otunba Olaiya Olobatoke, speaking to Daily Sun recently, said he decided to contest for the kabba bunu /ijumu House of Representatives seat because he wants to make a positive difference to his constituency and to especially create a consciosness on the youths that they don’t need to rely on government before they can make it in life and stressed the need for them to think out of the box.
The 37 years old Otunba Olobatoke, a business man popular with youths in Kogi State, said if given the opportunity, he will provide job opportunities for youths in diverse areas of agriculture by bringing in foreign investors to train them on how to be self reliant and be employers of labour
He said he represents a paradigm shift in the political space of the area and called on youths to shun thuggery and all forms of social vices, but to always stay focused and take their destinies in their hands
While lamenting the level of poverty and insecurity in the country due to bad governance of the ruling All progressives Congress, he expressed optimism that it is only the people’s democratic party that can save the country from total collapse
Otunba Olobatoke, who stressed that with the abundance of natural and human resources Nigeria has no reason to be poor, disclosed his several empowerment programmes he has embarked upon and said if voted in, he will do more.
On his chances of winning the PDP primary, he said he has made a wide consultations to all stakeholders and stressed that no other aspirants has done half of what he has done to better the lots of his people.
While solicitingv for the maximum support of the party delegates to enable him fly the PDP ticket, he called on the delegates not to allow sentiments and other primordial motives becloud them during the party primaries but to vote for competence, capacity and forthrightness which he stands for