Alhaji Isah Liman Kantigi, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for governor of Niger state, has promised to bring instability caused by banditry to its knees if he is elected governor next year.
He also promised to work with law enforcement and other security organisations to make the state safe for businesses to expand.
Kantigi made the promise during a visit with his running mate, Mr Samuel Gwammna, to IDP camps in the Gulu and Azza communities in the Lapai Local Government Area of the state, where he contributed N13.5 million to the victims.
Kantigi expressed his condolences to the victims for “the unfortunate situation they have found themselves in” and promised that a PDP government in the state would eliminate bandit attacks and help the victims get back on their feet. According to a statement released to the media in Minna, Alhaji Kantigi visited the local government, distributed cash donations, and expressed his condolences to the families of those who had lost loved ones and visited the hospitals where those injured in the disaster were receiving treatment.
According to the gubernatorial candidate, the money was a “token from his campaign council to help them pick their medical bills and to reduce their sufferings in the present harsh economic condition.”
The contender was cited as saying, “if voted into power come 2023, this ugly security situation in parts of the state will be addressed to give way for a meaningful development.”
The statement further claims that Kantigi paid a condolence visit to the Emir of Lapai, Alhaji Umaru Bago iii, where he expressed his solidarity with the monarch and the people of Lapai in the face of the ongoing threat posed by bandits.
Noting “a strong commitment and political will to bring the situation under control,” he promised that “we will take the battle to these criminal elements for the overall development of the state” if elected in 2023.
Kantigi was cited as saying, “There is no society that can attain any level of development with the current security situation we have on our hands, and I strongly believe that with strong commitment and political will, the situation will be addressed.”
Kantigi told the king that he often has trouble sleeping because of the condition of the IDPs, which is why he included provisions for greater security, agriculture, and infrastructure, as well as more social welfare, in his platform.
In his address, the Emir expressed gratitude to the governor candidate for his visit and offered prayers for his success.