BY Comrade Gesua Yekini
Today over 100 million Nigerians are poor due to bad economy. 63% of Nigerian population, including children, are suffering from poverty. This invariably means two out of three Nigerians are living in poverty, find it difficult to access good health, education, food and the standard of living standard is very poor (National Bureau of Statistics). This is a clear indication that the APC government are leaving behind poverty as legacy, as there are no records of development in any area of the society.
Against this background, it is expedient that a candidate who is knowledge and has foresight be sent to the tenth Senate for efficient representation; someone who would fix the jeopardized economy and a man with proven integrity. Who could perfectly fit into this shoe if not a man as Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi.
Big Idea as being fondly called is the PDP candidate for the Kwara Central Senatorial position. Going by his track record and antecedents, he is a man of clear vision, who delivers beyond expectations.
Nigeria is facing debt serving challenges, dwindling revenue and dependence borrowing which make debt servicing difficult for the APC government according to the warning issued by the Debt Management Office. The Debt Management Office expressed Concern at a workshop Organized by the Office for Federal lawmakers.
This show that the tenth Senate have lot to do in the Senate and at Kwara Central Senatorial we must vote for right candidate who know what is going to do, for good representation to save our Country. We should not deceive our people and the Country as the only candidate in Kwara Central Senatorial is Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi who had already served both at the State and Federal level. We should not be bias, we should put sentiment analysis apart, enticing apart, religious tribalism and whatever Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi has done we should forget the past in respective of our party for the love our beloved Kwara Central and Country let us vote for the man Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi PDP Kwara Central Senatorial Candidate we all believed the man have the Three Keys C Character, Courage Competent.
The Man Bolaji Abdullahi is very respectful, brilliant, have integrity and is competent. The tenth Senate is not about is beyond vote buying if we are to save our beloved Country. According to DMO, during the discussion with Federal lawmakers, Russia and Ukraine Crisis had pushed up interest rate on borrowing at domestic and international Capital Markets, thereby making loan more expensive and debt servicing more difficult and the concern the interest rate on borrowing have gone up to 15 per cent from 13.5per cent. Also, according to DMO the funding for debt servicing come from revenue and revenue these days is hard to come by and lawmakers are making it difficult for the Executive to increase Taxes so that Value Added Tax (VAT) for Nigeria should be in the range of 15per cent to 17per cent as against the prevailing 7.5per cent.
I’m doing this for the interest of my beloved Kwara Central and Country to save us from collapse and fix our economy.
This is the legacy APC government are leaving for us in Nigeria. Therefore, we should collectively vote out APC government in Nigeria.
Insecurity Nigeria Suffering, Weeping about Insecurity according to National Adviser Gen. Babagana Monguno, Rtd , during the meeting with federal lawmakers pleaded to allocate more funds to fight insecurity in Country saying Nigerian suffering and needed help, he appealed to the lawmakers in respective of their party to save our dear Country so that Buhari will hand over a safer country to the next president come 2023 because our people are suffering, they are weeping and we must help them but we have limitations as intelligence agencies.
This can only be done through the legislative drive. All these is to let the people of Kwara Central Senatorial in respective of political parties to know the important of legislative and the next tenth Senate are going to work seriously. Therefore, the only Candidate who can do it, who have the intelligence, Competent, Commitment, brilliant focal, is no other person than Bolaji Abdullahi PDP Kwara Central Senatorial Candidate who had already served in both State and Federal levels and by the track record, achievements, and we should also vote out APC government as they are already leaving legacy of Poverty, Poor economy and insecurity. Below are profiles and achievements when he was the Minster for Sport, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi PDP Kwara Central Senatorial Candidate the man of our time.
Bolaji Ganiyu Abdullahi, was born on August 12, 1969 in Kontagora, Niger State. He is from Ilorin West Local Government of Kwara State. He attended Barakat LSMB Primary school, Ilorin and Government Secondary School, Kwali Abuja.
In 1989, he was admitted into the University of Lagos to study for a degree in Mass Communication and he graduated in 1994. He proceeded for his National Youth Service Corps, NYSC in Sokoto State where he taught communication skills at the Sokoto State Polytechnic.
In 1997, he began a career in journalism in one of the nation’s leading newspaper, This Day Newspaper. From a reporter, he rose to the position of Deputy Editor of the newspaper within 5 years, during which he wrote over 500 newspaper articles. However, it was for his column on the back page of ThisDay that he was most known for.
In 2001, won the British Government scholarship, the Chevening Scholarship, to study for a Master’s Degree in Governance and Development at the world famous Institute of Development Studies of the University of Sussex, where he graduated with distinction in 2002.
In 2003, he began his career in public service when he was appointed Special Assistant on Communication and Strategy to the then Governor of Kwara State, Dr. Bukola Saraki. While serving as Special Assistant, he organized the first ever Kwara State Education Summit, which pushed the problems of public education in the State to the forefront of the political agenda. In 2005, he was appointed Special Adviser on Policy and Strategy. However, in recognition of his outstanding passion for education development in the State, he was appointed Commissioner for Education in 2007. As Commissioner for Education he led one of the most ambitious education reform in Nigeria with the flagship programme, Every Child Counts, which remains a reference point for similar initiatives in the country.
In 2011, he was appointed Honourable Minister for Youth Development by President Goodluck Jonathan. In that position, he embarked on a reform of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC. It was the first of such reform since the programme was created in 1973. However, in 2012, he was drafted to oversee the Ministry of Sports in addition to his Youth Development Portfolio. Within a short time, he brought order and stability to the otherwise riotous sports sector, especially the Nigerian Football Federation, which had been badly affected by in-fighting and litigations. In recognition of this efforts, he was soon made the substantive minister of sports and chairman National Sports Commission.
As the Minister of Sports, in 2013 he led Nigeria to win its first African Cup of Nations in 19 years. The same year, he led the National Under 17 Team to win the Under 17 World Cup for a record fifth time. He has also been credited with the revolution of the Nigeria Premier Football League, with the creation of the League Management Company, which signed an unprecedented broadcast agreement worth $4 million with DSTV/Super Sports in 2013.
A professional journalist, Abdullahi has a unique portfolio of experience that cuts across media, civil society and public service. In between his practice as journalist, he worked for two years as Director of Publications and Programmes at the continental civil society organisation, the Africa Leadership Forum founded by Nigeria’s former President, Olusegun Obasanjo. In a working career that has spanned over 19 years, Abdullahi has developed an extensive network of contacts and professional relationships in the media, civil society, international development agencies and governments at all levels in Nigeria.
He has at various times attended courses at the Kennedy School of Government of the Harvard University, USA (2010); Ashridge Business School, Berkhamstead, UK, (2009), World Bank Institute, Washington DC, USA (2008), Hetta International Development Centre, New York, USA (2005) and Theodore Heuss Academy for Leadership, Gummersbach, Germany (2000); Santa Barbara Writer’s Conference, Santa Barbara California, USA 2019; and Engaging Evidence for Policy and Planning, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, 2019.
A writer, thinker and problem solver, Abdullahi has written two books- On a Platter of Gold – How Jonathan Won and Lost Nigeria and Sweet Sixteen, a young adult novel currently used for JAMB Examination. He is also the chairman of the Omoluabi Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation based in Ilorin, Kwara State which is focussed on youth development through sports and extra-curricular activities. The Foundation has sponsored annual handball competitions in the State, it has also supported Karate, table tennis, among others. In 2014, Omoluabi Foundation partnered Super sports to launch the Let’s Play initiative in Kwara State, and event that brought over a thousand kids into sports.
Abdullahi’s hobbies include reading, travelling, photography and fitness. He is married and has children.
HON. MINISTER FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND SPORT (2011-2014)
Carried out the reform of the National Youth Service Corps for the first time since it’s creation in 1976.
Launched the You-Win, Youth entrepreneurship promotion initiative in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of ICT that awarded grants of up to N10 million Naira to each winner across the Country.
Conveyed the first Nigeria National Sport Summit in 2012.
Launched the “Rhythm and Play” project to bring Two Million Youths into sport over two years.
Initiated the National Youth Games, which had continued to hold in Ilorin, annually.
Won the Africa Cup of Nations with the Super Eagles of Nigeria after 19 years.
Won the Under-17 World Cup for Nigeria for the 4th time.
Won the African Athletics Championship in all categories.
Reformed the Nigeria Professional Football League (NFPL) by establishing the League Management Company (LMC) and signed broadcast right agreement with Super Sport worth 4 million USD.
Qualified Nigeria Basketball Team, the Tigers, for the 2012 Olympics for the first time.
During my time, the Super Eagles did not lose a single competitive match.
Initiated a new funding template for Athletics in Nigeria in order to incentivize performances, leading to proper compensation for Athletics.
Launched the first Sport High Performances System in Nigeria, to bring science into training and development of Athletics for elite competition.
Facilitated the recruitment of several Kwarans into the Federal Civil Service through the Ministry of Youth Development.
Sponsored many Kwarans to International sporting competitions in different Countries of Africa and Europe.
COMRADE GESUA YEKINI,
FORMER STATE CHAIRMAN, RADIO, TELEVISION, THEATER AND ARTS WORKERS UNION (RATTAWU).
