The candidate for the Peoples Democratic Movement in the December 5 governorship election in Bayelsa State, Mr. Moses Siasia, on Wednesday, said the state has not been blessed with good leaders.
The candidate, a 35-year-old younger brother of a National Coach, Samson Siasia, spoke in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, during the unveiling of his agenda for the state if elected governor.
He said past leaders of the state had failed because they lacked the capacity to think positively to bring about development.
Siasia, who unveiled a two-point agenda of job creation and education, told a gathering of journalists and civil society organisations that at age 35, he had achieved so much in business.
He noted that his private company had in its employ 400 young Nigerian professionals with 70 Bayelsans in his pay roll.
He challenged other governorship candidates to tell him what they had achieved for Bayelsans in their personal capacities, pointing out that his youthful age would not affect his performance, adding that those who had governed the state could not achieve much with their acclaimed experience.
Siasia, who described himself as a job creating machine, promised to use his experience as an entrepreneur to create 30,000 jobs for Bayelsans in two and a half years if given the mandate to govern them.
The PDM candidate said, “Past leaders of Bayelsa State have failed because they lacked the capacity to think positively to bring about development.
“I will increase the state’s internally generated revenue from N50m to N5bn per month if elected.
“Also, if voted, my administration will diversify the state economy through agriculture and tourism to make Bayelsa an economic pacesetter in the South-South geo-political zone. I will increase workers’ minimum wage from N18,000 to N25,000, while there would be prompt payment of gratuity to pensioners.”
On education, he said there would be free education for primary and secondary school pupils across the state, while bursary for students in institutions of higher learning would be increased by 100 per cent.
Siasia promised to increase power supply by 80 per cent, while the state would have an airport within the period of two years of his government.
He unveiled Mrs. Irene Opuene, a civil servant from Akasa Town in Brass Local Government of the state, as his running mate.
The PDM candidate said if voted, he would be the first governor to have a woman as deputy governor in Bayelsa, promising to ensure 40 per cent women participation in his government.
PUNCH
