By Musa Baba Adamu
The only presidential aspirant on the platform of National Rescue Movement (NRM), Prof. Benedicta Egbo, yesterday purchased her expression of interest and nomination forms at the headquarters of the party, where she vowed to transform the education system of Nigeria into practicals if elected President.
Egbo, who is a Professor of Education based in Canada, was accompanied by her husband to the submission ceremony in Abuja yesterday. She also said the insecurity ravaging the country will be addressed by her Government using modern technology.
Benedicta also said that she will develop a robust national plan to deliver good governance, unity and improve the living standard of Nigerians if elected president in 2023.
“Nigeria’s problems keep me awake at night. I have been thinking that we cannot afford to allow Nigeria to sink”, she lamented.
According to the educationist, her campaign will be anchored on five pillars, including economy, regeneration, poverty alleviation, employment and power sector reform.
“I will tackle insecurity and unite the country. We will leverage the power of the armed forces and address insecurity. We will deploy technology for that purpose.
“Poverty issues will be addressed, welfare programmes will be introduced, labour will be encouraged and we will review the wages. How can a minimum wage be N30,000, an amount for a bag of rice. We can’t move forward until we have peace and security.
“I will strengthen institutions. We have institutions that are no longer relevant. Some institutions are so weak that we don’t even need them. Individuals are now greater than institutions. That is why we will adhere to the rule of law. No one will be above the law and the law will be applied.
“God created this country as a paradise, but we have turned it to hell. But I will turn around the education sector within 18 months. There is hunger in the land, but a political party is selling forms at 100 million. A political party that has been borrowing. We will rebuild Nigeria and reclaim the future. Nigeria will rise again,” Benedicta said.
Earlier speaking, NRM National Deputy Chairman, Abubakar Jikamshi, who represented the chairman said “history is in the making with cries everywhere, people are crying for alternatives. We cannot sit down as citizens with conscience and allow that to happen. We have to stand up and ensure that we rescue the country.”
He decried the spate of unemployment in the country, saying that “children of the big men are schooling abroad, while the universities are on strike.
“Prof Benedicta left all the way from Canada to rescue Nigeria. We must support her because she is determined to take the mantle of leadership of this country.
“As a Prof, she has raised Children, as a mother, she raised children. She can’t allow the country to slide, that is why she is here to pick the form. The time she wins, Nigerian people will know there is something better.”
He regretted that those who are ministers and governors are picking forms at 100 million, claiming that all those monies are from government coffers.
“These people are really out to kill us. Nigeria is a sinking ship, we cannot allow them to continue. As I speak with you, elections cannot be held in Katsina’s 10 LGA, with a boundary with Zamfara. What kind of nation are we?”
