HE presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has promised to ensure that the country’s millions of out-of-school children are sent back to school if elected. Atiku, who made the promise at a campaign rally in Abuja yesterday, said education is crucial to youth development. He lamented the high number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, adding that he would also ensure that universities are not shut down as a result of prolonged strikes by university teachers.

Addressing the crowd, Atiku said: “We have pledged to restructure this country. In the process of restructuring, we shall give you all that you are demanding. I want to assure you that, and I want to promise you that. Currently, we have challenges. Can you imagine Abuja not secured? Can you imagine Abuja the federal capital not secured? We shall protect Abuja and secure it for your own safety.

“We have pledged to restore security. It is very essential that we give everybody peace: a farmer peace to go to the farm, a trader peace to trade, peace to everybody. It is only when there is peace that we can undertake our different aspirations. The people of Abuja, before anybody feels the impact of government, you will be the first because you are in the federal capital. I promise that a PDP administration will fulfill all these obligations. We thank you very much indeed”.

The PDP National Chairman, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu, urged Nigerians to vote Abubakar and other PDP candidates to address the current challenges of the country. Ayu said that when elected, Abubakar would continue from where he stopped when he was vice president of the country. “He was the vice-president in charge of the national economy under former President Olusegun Obasanjo; he knows what to do. We don’t want a president who will come and deceive you and would not know what to do,” Ayu said.

The Chairman, Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Council, Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom, said that the PDP would restore the lost glory of Nigeria, when elected. Emmanuel said that Abubakar was to tackle youth unemployment, restiveness and revive Nigeria’s economy. “He was in the saddle for eight years as the Chairman of the National Economic Council and that is Atiku. Atiku is ready to recover the lost glory of the country; in terms of national policies, international policies, Nigeria is taking a back stage,” he said.

Source: The Nation