PDP must recover Kano in 2015, says Jonathan

PRESIDENT Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has vowed that his party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) must recover Kano in the forthcoming 2015 elections, adding that looking at what the Federal Government has done for the state the people of Kano has no choice but to vote for the PDP in future elections.
He made the statement at a rally in Kano on Tuesday, to receive the former governor of the state, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau into the party's fold.
While listing the developmental projects brought to the state by the Federal Government, President Jonathan said that 716,000 farmers benefited from the federal government’s programme of subsidized fertilizer distribution for rice and maize production.
The president revealed that more than 100,000 farmers also benefited from government’s transformation programme of Dry Season Support Programme. He said in 2012, only 34,000 benefited, while the beneficiaries rose to 66,000 in 2013.
“Rice farmers got about N38 billion which is higher with N21 billion in two years. We are also supporting wheat, groundnut and cotton production. According to our statistics there were 1,500 cotton farmers in Kano. With our intervention the number rose to 6,000.” President Jonathan elaborated.
President Jonathan also promised that the historic groundnut pyramid in Kano would be restored.
After listing some of the developmental programmes his administration brought to Kano he challenged people to go and cross check what he revealed during the occasion.
In an emotion-laden voice, President Jonathan said that during the presidential primary elections in 2011, governor Kwankwaso allegedly collected some large chunk of money meant for delegates, but the money went into thin air.

“Kwankwaso did not vote for me during the primaries. So also during the general election Kwankwaso refused to distribute the logistics sent for the purpose of facilitation of the election. If he voted for me he would have joined us today on this occasion”, said President Jonathan.
President Jonathan challenged that in the last two and a half years the 44 local governments of the state collected the sum of N200.5b as grant from the federal government. While according to him the state collected about a quarter trillion from the federation.
He called on the local government chiefs and their councillors to start asking questions about their grants.
On the issue of the insurgency he charged that the menace would not stop Nigeria from moving forward, maintaining that terrorists would not stop the country from moving from strength to strength.
He commended the security operatives in their effort to tame the insurgency in the country.
Mallam Shekarau reiterated that they would be committed to work with President Jonathan so as to promote and sustain development of the country.
“We will work for the improvement of infrastructure, promotion of peace and tranquility among all the citizenry. Let us begin the formation of a new party machinery. And if we do that we are sure of victory in 2015. Let us come together as one family,” Shekarau charged.