Much of the current discord and rancour in the Nigerian political firmament is based not on a contestation of idea but personal jockeying for advantage in a country that is clearly lacking in opportunity for self-advancement.
Those wishing the country well must now ask for the political actors to enumerate in full public clarity so that they can be subjected to debate on what they really plan for the long-suffering electors of the Republic.
There is no doubt that most of the incoming governments in Nigeria today cannot positively answer the question, the question is clear: Are you better off today than you were three years ago?
We must therefore commend all those who at least want to take the election seriously by putting forward in manifesto for them to see if they are presenting a credible alternative position.
We will be highlighting all credible initiatives portraying a candidate and someone who is taking the quest for a better society seriously.
A good initiative comes from Dr. Najeem Salaam the Governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) who on Monday presented an invigorating platform proffering clear options for the electors of Osun State in the August 2026 off-cycle governorship election.
It is clear that Dr. Najeem Salaam is acutely aware that structural change must be made to reinvigorate the economy of Osun State .
We highlight the key position of Dr Salaam’s manifesto already carried on our front page.
- Job Creation, Workers Welfare,
Education, Security Priorities
- Promises N1 billion Annual Loan For Women Entrepreneurs
- 20,000 O-YES Cadets In First 100 Days In Office
- 24-hour uninterrupted power supply
- Re-introduction of School Feeding Program
The programme from our perspective is a fightback against the dominant acceptance of
“Stagflation and jobless growth” a key element here which we are enthusiastic about is the promise to make “1 BILLION NAIRA available to women entrepreneurs”.
This is a forward thrust, we will however suggest after reordering the priorities of the costs of the merchinery of the government this should be increased to 2.5 Billion Naira annually after the first Year and to 3 Billion Naira there in after.
Women are decisive in any economy, they have a huge multiplier effect on the family immediate and extended. They are also very highly productive. Frankly, even just 1 Billion Naira of investment funding per year will have a multiplier effect in consider our opinion of at least 4 Billion Naira. This will come in terms of the generation of direct and indirect employment it will help in skills acquisition and strengthen chain in critical sectors.
For example, Dr Najeem Salaam’s initiative can help to fund the setting up of cooperative solar powered storage facilities made from containers to preserve foods in the urban market.
This will cut down wastage of perishable commodities and in the process help the profit margin of market women and at the same time bring down prices for the consumer, this is a win-win initiative and we urge Dr Najeem Salaam to advocate with vigour to the relevant focus groups. Such administrative will also resonate in the rural areas ,the point commencement of the value chain.
It will help as an initiative the transfer from subsistence to commercial farming, since the same containerized solar enabled storage facilities can and should be replicated at the farm-gate. We are also very enthusiastic about the intention to revive the school feeding program pioneer by the administration of former Governor, Rauf Aregbesola.
This should have been continuously built upon as a veritable tool of modernizing agricultural production and even eventually turning Osun State into an agro-industrial power house with export potential.
The initiative will increase farm production since they are guaranteed of a sustainable market as well as minimum farm gate prices. The process will lead to value-additioningby inducing the setting up of Agro hyphen processing plant. It is a tragedy that the Aregbesola program was sidelined.
On the contrary a similar home grown feeding program was used by government of President Ignacio Lula Da Silva to turn Brazil into an awesome agricultural power house and leading exporter of semi processsed and fully processed agricultural commodities. Was also instrumental in taking out over 20 million Brazilians out of poverty in 8 years. Reinstating this program shows positive thinking on the part of Dr. Najeem Salaam.
In the weeks ahead we would be scrutinizing more programmes as they have offered by the governorship candidate.
At this juncture, we are delighted that the Candidate, Dr Najeem Salaam is offering substance rather than the vacuous platitude which has become routine.
He is focusing on the sources of dysfunction and in doing so , inducing a much a war on poverty is in itself a powerful economic too to increase production. Well being jobs creation and and achieving the much needed social stability required at a time of strife.
He deserves a pass mark and we will be keeping and eye on him and his efforts on the campaign trail in the weeks ahead.
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