By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse
The Jigawa state Labour Party (LP) gubernatorial candidate, Alhaji Abdullahi Tsoho has opposed the ruling APC administration in the state for providing health clinics and classrooms without adequate manpower to man the facilities.
The candidate made the observation in Dutse, Jigawa state capital, when he spoke to newsmen on Monday.
He promised to recruit qualified and enough health workers and school’s teachers if given the mandate
Comrade Tsoho maintained that he will prioritize the provision of adequate manpower rather than building health clinics and classrooms like the the present administration has done
According to him, if given the mandate, he will change the narratives by giving priority to the employment of qualified teachers at primary and secondary school levels.
“I will also recruit adequate health workers to take charge at the health centers unlike the present APC government that built classrooms and clinics without teachers and health workers”.
Tsoho, former scribe of the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC), who was affirmed the Governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Jigawa State lamented how the Jigawa Government embarked on white elephant projects for the interest of few elites.
He added that in the last seven years, over 9000 thousand teachers retired from the state civil service but less than 1, 500 were recruited in the state.
“With regards to education, the government has done well by building classrooms but that is not the priority, its better to have enough teachers than classrooms without teachers.
“It’s a pity in Jigawa state that you find schools with only one Arabic Teacher and Headmaster. These are the problems that we will address if elected because education is the backbone of development, Mr Tsoho said.
The labour leader said there is no how Jigawa will develop with the kind of educational decay at the moment.
“You need to employ qualified teachers and put them on regular training where they can be exposed to teaching skills.”he added.
He alleged that “education is not a priority for the present administration in the state, adding that as a governorship candidate he will rescue the state if elected in the 2023 general election.”
Tsoho indicated that the health sector in the State is understaffed adding that the policy of one primary healthcare per political ward is a mirage without the manpower to take care of patients.
He also faulted the state contributory pension scheme which he said is at the verge of collapse due to dearth of civil servants in the state who contributed monthly to sustain the pension scheme.
“So many workers are retiring without the government giving employment to new ones, if workers stop paying monthly contribution to the pension scheme, the scheme will collapse, Mr Tsoho lamented.
He said the Labour Party will give priority to mass employment of civil servants to boost the economy of the state.