The abundant human, solid mineral, and agro-allied resources available in Adamawa State, if properly harnessed and maintained, can transform the state into one of the richest and most industrialized in the country.
Mr. Christopher Nathaniel, the governorship candidate for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Adamawa, expressed this during an interaction with journalists in Yola. He stated that if elected governor, he would turn the state into an industrial hub.
He emphasized that Adamawa is richly endowed with natural resources that rival those of other states but lamented that these resources have not been adequately utilized.
Nathaniel explained that his primary motivation for wanting to govern the state is to harness these resources for the benefit of the people, focusing on agro-produce, livestock, and mineral resources.
He aims to ensure that everything is processed into finished products before leaving the state.
“Apart from solid minerals, the land is also fertile for agro-allied production, using the available dams and by creating small earth dams that will serve both farmers and herders,” he said.
He added that the livestock resources available in the state could also become a major source of revenue.
“The meat, milk, skin and bones will all be assets of great value to the state, if given the chance to govern Adamawa state, I will turn cattle market into an industry were everything about the cattle will exported and improve our internally generated revenue.
“All we need to do as a state is to key into the federal government’s livestock programme by creating ranches with dams to provide water for cattle instead of allowing them to enter people’s farmlands.
This will address the security challenges arising from conflicts between farmers and herders,” he said.
The SDP candidate commended the administration of the incumbent governor for its infrastructural development, particularly the construction of modern schools in the 21 local government areas of the state.
He noted that the facilities provided in the schools are underutilised, stressing that they could be put to better use if boarding and accommodation facilities were provided for students and teachers, adding that future stars could be discovered and nurtured.
“I know the security challenges we are facing across the country. To prevent attacks on schools, we can adopt a tripartite approach involving human intelligence, religious and traditional institutions, as well as technology,” he said.
The governorship hopeful added that for him to achieve these laudable programs the media must be well positioned to carry out it’s primary responsibility.
“I will invest heavily on the media, the elderly through formation of ” Elders council from all 226 wards in the state, this I tell you will address our security problems to a great extent”.
The welfare of civil servants will be a priority ” I want to see civil servants happily go to work as it were in the past where a graduate is employed, he gets a house and a car, it can be done again when we make Adamawa a producing and not a consuming state”