The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in next Saturday’s House of Representatives bye-election in Ondo State, Olumiyuwa Adu, has said that he he was ready to adequately represent the people of his federal constituency if elected.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had fixed Saturday, February 26, 2022, for the bye-election in Akure North/Akure South Federal Constituency.
Adu and six other candidates of other political parties would contest in the election.
But speaking at a debate organised by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Ondo State, the PDP candidate, who is also a lawyer, said federal law-making was a serious business that was not meant for Senior Secondary School Certificate holders.
He said, “You cannot be a leader when you are not academically qualified, no skill or character. It should be commensurate with what you can offer. We do not get the right person in the right place.
“With the current structure, we aren’t going forward. How do we elect a school certificate holder to the National Assembly to go and make laws? He will only rely on the salary he has never received before to come and share on the streets.”
Condemning the distribution of sewing machines, motorcycles, grinding machines and other donations as empowerment for constituents, the candidate said such an approach could only benefit people close to the federal lawmaker.
He promised to adopt a new empowerment module that would benefit a greater number of people rather than a selected few.
“My empowerment will be focused on job creation, skills development and for businesses to thrive. In Akure, there is no recreational centre. If the constituency is used as a PPP for setting up of a recreational centre, do you know how many people will be employed there?
“The present empowerment modules being used are not sustainable. I will ensure the right empowerment for the right people. I am not satisfied with the way it is done. We should begin to think of sustainable ways to help our people to develop themselves,” Adu stressed.
However, the candidates of the All Progressives Congress and other parties failed to show up for the debate.
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