By Philip Yatai

The candidates for the Kaura Federal Constituency, Kaduna State in the 2023 General Elections say the youth of the area will no longer be used and dumped after elections.

The candidates are Mr Haruna Atung of the People Redemption Party (PRP) and Mr Gideon Gwani, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Others are Mr Simon Na’Allah of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Mr Mathew Donatus, Labour Party, and Prof. Benjamin Gugong of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

The candidates, who stated this in Kaura on Thursday during an Interactive session with the electorate in the constituency, noted that the youth were only seen as tools to win elections but abandoned afterwards.

They all agreed that this practice must change through constructive skills acquisition and job creation for youths with a view to empower them to contribute meaningfully to the development of the LGA.

Prof. Gugong of the APC said if elected, he would ensure that youths were empowered with skills and job opportunities to improve their quality of life and contribute to the development of the area.

“We have a huge number of jobless youths used only during elections to canvas for votes but are dumped the moment the election was over.

“We must not use them only during elections but use them for the development of the land through skills and capacity development,” he said.

Gugong said that if elected, his agenda would be to improve security, human capital development and citizens participation in the governance process.

He also promised to focus on sport development, scholarship schemes for students from indigent households and create synergy among all elected offices in the LGA.

On his part, Mr Donatus of the Labour Party, said if elected, he would ensure a paradigm shift to engagement by empowering the youth with income generating skills and employment opportunities.

He also promised to strengthen unity among the divided people of the LGA to improve security and work together for sustainable development of the area.

Similarly, Mr Na’allah of the NNPP also promised to empower youths and women with relevant skills to be job creators rather than job seekers with a view to making the LGA a better place.

He equally promised to lobby for infrastructural projects for the development of the LGA, adding that he would work closely with the ruling party to bring dividends of democracy to the people of the area.

According to him, what is lacking in the LGA is quality leadership, adding that if elected, he would promote a people-oriented leadership that speaks to the needs of the people.

Also, Mr Atung of PRP, said that the youth constituted about 70 per cent of voters in the LGA, stressing that empowering them with jobs and relevant skills would make them useful to their communities.

Atung further said that if elected, he would work towards improving the security of the area as well as educational empowerment of people to live meaningful lives.

On his part, Mr Gwani of the PDP expressed passion for good governance and the development of people in rural communities.

Gwani, who is the incumbent, representing the LGA at the House of Representatives, said if re-elected, he would lobby for jobs for the youth and continue the women empowerment and rural electrification projects.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the electorate and the candidates have agreed to recall who ever wins the election on failure to deliver his promises to the people.

The interactive session was organised by the Kaura Joint Committee made up of Kaura Youth Coalition, and Nigerian Union of Teachers, Kaura Local Government Branch.

Others are Community Development Associations, Grassroots Vision for Women Development Initiative and Kaura LG branches of Jam’iyar Matan Arewa, Youth Council of Nigeria and Kaura Development Forum.

Chairman Planning Committee, Mr Ben Shamang, Director News, Voice of Nigeria, had explained that the event was organised to provide a platform for the citizens of the council to interact with the candidates.

This, according to him, will enable the electorate to make informed decisions in choosing who to represent them at the National Assembly. (NAN)