By Martha Agas
Jos – Lt.-Cdr. Jerry Mangai (rtd), People’s Party of Nigeria (PPN), governorship candidate in Plateau, says he will establish a data register in rural communities as part of measures to check insecurity, if elected.
Mangai made the promise on Friday in Jos, at a media forum organised by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Plateau Council.
The candidate, who decried the devastating effects of the violence over the years, regretted that life had become more difficult for rural dwellers that feed the state.
“I will ensure that community leaders maintain a data base of those who come into their communities and leave; I will ensure that such visitors and their missions are well screened and identified.
“Such visitors will state where they are coming from, and why they had relocated from their former abodes,” he said.
He said that insecurity had continued because perpetrators of evil had never been punished.
“The rules of engagement should be well defined for security agencies to avert complications in the discharge of their duties.
“The local communities should be mobilised to assist the security agencies,” he said,
He promised to establish supervisory committees in communities where government interventions were implemented, to ensure that such interventions met required standards, while the resources would be judiciously utilised.
Mangai also promised to boost Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), through the establishment of processing industries for granite and lead, noting that the state was blessed with many mining sites.
“Such industries will create jobs for youths and fast-track infrastructural development,” he said, adding that .
the factories would be established through a public private partnership with local and international investment companies.
He also promised to pay more attention to education and health sectors so as to improve general growth in such areas.
Earlier, Mr Aminu Idegu, the Chairman of the Chapel, had said that the forum was organised to give candidates seeking elective positions the opportunity to make public their plans for the electorate to enable them make informed decision.
Mr Paul Jatau, NUJ chairman in the state, in his remark, promised to provide equal opportunity to all the candidates as part of the media’s enlightenment process toward deepening Nigeria’s democracy. (NAN)