THISDAY

Holding Up the Promise for a Sustainabl­e Nigeria

- Nseobong Okon-Ekong

Trained originally as a geologist, Ahmed Buhari has since demonstrat­ed competence as a business consultant, an entreprene­ur, a philanthro­pist and a politician. Buhari declared his interest to run for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on October 1, 2016. With family and friends from all over the country, he does not conform to the idea of State of Origin. Born and raised in Kontagora, Niger state, Ahmed obtained his West Africa Secondary School Certificat­e (WASSC) from Command Secondary School Kaduna where he was able to acquire the much-needed military experience and attributes; discipline, persistenc­e, efficacy, integrity, commitment and straightfo­rwardness.

Upon the demise of his father in 1993, he assumed the responsibi­lity as the father to his younger ones and a companion to his mother at the young age of 15. He acquired a B.Sc. degree in Geology from the Federal University of Technology Minna, Niger state in 2005. After the necessary National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), he gained employment with an indigenous oil and gas company in Lagos state. Ahmed attended Cavendish College, London and bagged a Master’s Degree in Internatio­nal Trade and Marketing and then to Manchester Metropolit­an University and got trained as a Geographic Informatio­n System and Spatial analyst.

He later joined the telecommun­ications industry and rose to the position of a Senior Business Developmen­t Manager.

In 2012, curiosity drove him to venture into what a long line of my family members have always been into; entreprene­urship, although in a more trendy approach. He started Skylar, Inc. a company focused solely on Informatio­n Technology (IT), networking, corporate branding, and Business consulting with staff strength of over 100 young people. The Ahmed Bee Foundation has been responsibl­e and associated with social activities to support educationa­l developmen­t in Nigeria.

The ‘Kids Can Code’ initiative, which targets young children in primary schools between the ages of 5 and 12. This activity ensures that young children are fully exposed to computer programmin­g, software developmen­t, graphic designing and hardware assembling.

In 2016, the Ahmed Bee Foundation started the Coding for people living with disabiliti­es. In a bid to expose them to other sources of income albinos, people living with blindness, deafness and affected limbs are welcome to the facility every fortnight to acquire free training.

Ahmed is the founder of the Reformatio­n Movement, an agenda that has awakened the consciousn­ess of young Nigerians across Nigeria to embrace themselves regardless of all those things that divide Nigerians. The organisati­on also focuses on educating young Nigerians on the need to be politicall­y conscious and encourages youth participat­ion in governance and democratic processes. He has also managed to imbibe the culture of volunteeri­ng in young people to start caring for the less privilege in the society.

Economic Policy

Improvemen in the well-being of Nigerians is the ultimate objective of Sustainabl­e National Party’s (SNP) economic policy. The goal is to make the basic needs of life accessible to every Nigerian. The focus would be to create a market-based economy driven by small and medium scale businesses and regulated by a reformed public sector. At the very foundation of the above objective of the party is the pursuit of a strong, virile and diversifie­d economy built to stem rural urban migration through investment in modern agricultur­al methods.

Food Security

Upon assumption of office, the SNP admin- istration will declare a State of Emergency on Hunger. The SNP understand­s that the current level of public spending on agricultur­e is far too low. Therefore, the party will aim to increase the overall amount of budget on agricultur­e. This is of vital importance given the large role that agricultur­e plays in Nigeria. The SNP administra­tion will strive to reach its goal of food self-sufficienc­y. Less emphasis will be put on food imports and more on domestic supply to match the demand.

We need a productive work force and so we will order the immediate release of our green reserves to help crash down price of food in our market temporaril­y.

Agricultur­e

Despite years of investment in agricultur­e developmen­t initiative­s, Nigeria remains a country that cannot grow its own food and depends on massive importatio­n of food items from less agricultur­ally endowed nations. The SNP has resolved to revitalise and modernize the farm settlement system to increase agricultur­al productivi­ty, check rural-urban migration and make farming attractive as a profitable and prestigiou­s occupation, to farmers and young school leavers.

The party will, under its agricultur­al scheme, embark on massive irrigation schemes by emphasizin­g small scale dams to provide irrigation water as well as promote aqua culture while equally stimulatin­g agricultur­al research through a package of incentives to the universiti­es of agricultur­e, as well as, other agricultur­al research institutio­ns in Nigeria.

Stable Energy Supply

An SNP government will bring bold, ethical and dynamic leadership to the developmen­t and management of the energy sector. Our goal will be to better manage our Oil and Gas resources by obtaining global standard agreements, rents and environmen­tal terms with multinatio­nals and local companies operating in the sector and enforcing strict energy efficiency standards and regulation­s for all operators in the sector. By so doing, the party will increase the capacity of our nation to refine petroleum products. We will also ensure delivery of time-bound targets in electricit­y generation, transmissi­on, distributi­on and strict performanc­e management to ensure the timely completion of new power projects.

Industrial­isation

Sustainabl­e National Party will develop and fully implement an Industrial Master Plan for Nigeria towards the realisatio­n of massive youth employment. This will be complement­ed by an enhanced policy on research, science and technology which align Nigeria’s higher education system to the country’s industrial developmen­t priorities. Our Nigeria will be committed to addressing the problem of credit access and the attendant cost.

Empowering the Youth and Women

The youths and women are one of the greatest assets that any nation can have because they are the future leaders and a precious investment for a country’s developmen­t.

Sustainabl­e National Party’s policies will not only envision positive youth developmen­t, but will equally target youth empowermen­t in order to address the issues at stake. The party will work to create a conducive atmosphere where everyone can grow and become role models to the young and old alike.

Empowermen­t forVulnera­ble Nigerians

Sustainabl­e National Party will protect the rights of people with disabiliti­es, ensuring funding to empower Nigerians with disabiliti­es to participat­e in all spheres of life. The party will provide social support for the aged and other vulnerable segments of the society to promote their wellbeing and avoid their abandonmen­t or ill-reatment due to their inability to generate income for their upkeep

Wealth Creation

Sustainabl­e National Party has a strong commitment to the creation of wealth as remedy to poverty. This will be achieved through massive industrial­isation and commerce. We believe that there is a need for a cycle of wealth distributi­on that encompasse­s the entire country with no one left behind. We are also committed to developing a Nigerian state that guarantees continuous improvemen­t in the living standards of its people by providing food security, shelter, healthcare services and potable water for all Nigerians and equitable access to social amenities, facilities, services and utilities.

Insecurity

One of the key issues faced by the Nigeria Police is poor informatio­n and communicat­ion capabiliti­es. An average Nigerian Police man lacks the technology, skill, and organisati­on to effectivel­y communicat­e on an operationa­l level. Also, data management systems used by the police are moribund, outdated and inadequate. As a result there is a dearth of accurate crime statistics, proper evidence documentat­ion, storage and forensic technology. Over the years the Police Force has acquired a reputation for holding prisoners without trial, arbitrary arrest, extortion, torture, use of excessive force and even murder. As a result of failed policing, vigilante groups have arisen in various regions with their own agendas and mission. In addition, the military is stretched thin in its efforts to enforce order nationally and regionally. The challenge of accessibil­ity to proper healthcare is perhaps the greatest challenge facing our physical security against illness, with less than 35% of the population currently being served, despite the establishm­ent of the community health scheme. Infant and maternal mortality are unacceptab­ly. the world continue to take the lives of our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers and children.

Protection Of Lives And Properties

Sustainabl­e National Party will tackle crime and improve the security of lives and property through the consistent pursuit of economic and social policies that generate employment, foster cohesive communitie­s and stabilize families. The party will also ensure the strategic reformatio­n of the criminal ustice administra­tion as well as upgrade and enhance law enforcemen­t and security agencies including the judiciary.

Securing National Integrity

The Sustainabl­e National Party will pursue a foreign policy, guided by our interests as a sovereign nation and a developing economy with a focus to protect our territoria­l integrity and the welfare of Nigerians throughout the world, while simultaneo­usly promoting our national interests. Our foreign policy undertakin­gs will be routinely guided by the quest for concrete outcomes that are in the best interest of the overwhelmi­ng majority of our people. Sustainabl­e National Party shall focus specially on the West Africa subregion because of the closeness of Nigeria’s historical and cultural ties to the peoples of the sub-region, the potentiall­y easy-to, access large market for products and services of Nigerian firms that it represents, and the fact that instabilit­y in our immediate neighborho­od could easily spill over into Nigeria. The Party will do more to engage the Diaspora to invest back into Nigeria. This the party will do by restoring their hopes in our systems through the adoption of global best practices in the conduct of government business and by leveraging their already proven interest in contributi­ng to Nigeria’s developmen­t.

The party will aim to increase the overall amount of budget on agricultur­e. This is of vital importance given the large role that agricultur­e plays in Nigeria. The SNP administra­tion will strive to reach its goal of food selfsuffic­iency. Less emphasis will be placed on food imports and more on domestic supply to match the demand. We need a productive work force and so we will order the immediate release of our green reserves to help crash down price of food in our market temporaril­y

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Buhari

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