From Esther Akaa, Lafia
The governorship candidate of Labour Party (LP) in Plateau State, Dr Patrick Dakum, has promised to run women-inclusive government if elected as the governor of the state in 2023.
Dakum, a former state Commissioner of Health and Information stated this in an interview with journalists, immediately after the party’s presidential campaign flag-off, held on Saturday in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
According to him, himself, alongside his deputy, Edward Pwajok (SAN), who are bringing their integrity, exposure and wealth of experience in governance to bear, will ensure that women are properly represented at the policy level so as to articulate issues germane to women.
He noted the entrepreneurship and hardworking spirit of Plateau women which he said constitute over 70% workforce in farms and mining fields in parts of the state.
The LP’s governorship candidate said that his administration would therefore, provide women with farming inputs and other incentives to ease their work and to boost the economy of their families and by extension, the state if given the mandate to govern the people.
He, however, decried the high level of maternal mortality, saying that as a public health physician, he would ensure that the issue of maternal health is taken to the Primary Health Care level, in an effective way, in order to reduce the high rate of maternal mortality in the state.
On how he will improve the economy of the state if elected, Dakum said that Plateau needed a focused, experienced and prudent leadership like himself to turn its fortune around, promising to leverage on agriculture, tourism and mining to improve the state’s economy.
“The economic drivers of Plateau State will be taken to a higher height. This is because we are not in doubt to what the economic drivers are and we are not in doubt to what the enablers are too; good governance, security and human capital development. They are very key to economic growth and development.
“We will therefore, give attention to our economic drivers which are agriculture, tourism and mining and we will use resources judiciously and efficiently, in order to move the economy forward,” Dakum said.
He explained that Plateau was currently ranked 32 in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the country, while assuring that his administration would work towards its improvement to make it among the top 15 in the country within four years.
He further stated that his government would also provide mining equipments for the women and work towards legalising their vocation.
“N1,000 in the hands of a woman will go farther than N10,000 in the hands of a man. So, economic development of women is the economic development of the home,” he said.
On the party’s chances of winning the 2023 general elections, Dakum said that Nigerians had clearly demonstrated their yearning for change, saying that they were ready to turn around the fortune of the country through their votes, come 2023.
According to him, LP was the way to achieving a new Nigeria, given the quality of leadership Mr Peter Obi and Yusuf Datti would be offering if given the opportunity.
The governorship candidate said that what they had set out to do in Plateau would be a microcosm of what would happen at the federal level.
“This event is a rally and therefore, not a debate for Mr Peter Obi to lay out details of what he will bring to Nigerians but you could hear him address the needs of the people.
“Nigeria is therefore, lucky to have Peter Obi and Yusuf Datti to be putting themselves up in this sacrificial role to lead the country in this very difficult time,” he said.
He, therefore, called on the people to come out enmass and vote massively for Peter Obi and all candidates of the party in 2023 for a peaceful and prosperous nation.
