Abuja- President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday advised Nigerians to resist attempts by some people to frustrate the progress being recorded across the country.
He gave the advice while addressing the Benue State people at the Presidential Campaign rally in Makurdi.
“Some people are trying to push us backwards but they will never succeed.
“This country must move; we can no longer go backwards; we must move forward.
“ Nigeria must move forward. Forward ever, backward never.’’
The president said his administration would remain focused in its transformation with the provision of social infrastructure, quality education and respect for the attributes of every individual.
Jonathan said the prosperity of women and the youth remained paramount and the administration would continue to reposition the youth and women to attain their potential in the global arena.
“We have also started a presidential scholarship to train among youths those who will create opportunities for this country.
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“We are talking about the IT (Information Technology) revolution and about going to the moon; we must encourage and empower you.
“That is why we have special scholarship for very special people to work with us, to work with our Nollywood family to work with our sportsmen and women to move the Nigerian youth forward.
“There is no government, no Federal government that has encouraged women more than this government.
“We are not just encouraging women to just become ministers in Nigeria. But we want to push them to international limelight.’’
He thanked the Benue people for standing for a united country and for giving the nation the person of Senate President David Mark who had stabilised the National Assembly and remained committed to the oneness of the country.
Jonathan said Benue voted massively for PDP in the past and that his administration would continue to reciprocate by providing alternative means of transportation and roads that would improve industrialization and the agriculture value chain in the state.
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He said this was the first time that the Federal Government had shown commitment to massive agriculture.
“This government believes that in the next four years we will stop the importation of rice and Benue state is important in the programme. This administration will encourage agriculture at the secondary and the tertiary levels.’’
He also promised to build a teaching hospital in Benue and open a faculty of medicine in the Agriculture University in the state to be financed from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND).
“In PDP we do not deceive, what we promise we do. We are encouraging young people in sports, Nollywood and acting’’
“We believe that we must encourage the young people and we recently created the first young female pilot from Katsina state.’’
Also the former National Chairman of the party, Sen. Amadu Ali, said that the victory of the Jonathan/Sambo ticket was key to the collective existence of the country.
He advised the electorate to vote for President Jonathan who was “only seeking to complete a second term’’ to ensure national unity.
According to Ali, the Presidency of the country is not reserved for only the North and the implication of denying other zones the chance of serving the country at the highest level is enormous.
Senate President David Mark said that the PDP would win in free, fair and transparent polls.
He said that the victory of the party “will serve the interest of all Nigerians’’ and urged the electorate to stick with the party to enjoy dividends of democracy.
The PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, said he was grateful for the support commitment and loyalty the Benue people had shown to the party leader, President Jonathan.
He appealed to the people to return the president at the presidential polls to enable him to continue with his “excellent performance.”
“This is a president that has achieved so much in the history of Nigeria. He transformed Nigeria into the biggest economy in Africa. He deserves a second term. Please vote PDP at all levels of the polls,’’ he said.
