The Chairman of Salman Shagaya Foundation, Alh. Sheriff Shagaya has vowed to create jobs to tackle unemployment and insecurity if he is given the chance to be a governor of Kwara State.
Alhaji Sheriff Shagaya said this during a media chat with some newsmen in his GRA resident yesterday, 2nd May 2021.
A response he gave to newsmen, when asked about the singular thing he will do if given chance to be a Governor today.
"He said one of the major causes of all the security threats in Nigeria, not just Kwara today is unemployment, an idle man is a devil's workshop. If there are employment opportunities and social security scheme that will ensure the poor and the rich have access to good living and basic social goods, security issues wouldn't be our challenge by now.''
He said his experience during electioneering campaign in 2015 prompted him to starts the Salman Shagaya Foundation.
According to him, I was exposed to see the other side of life of how people were really living in abject poverty in the rural areas. Despite losing an election that same year, that prompted me to flag off the foundation, in other to serve as a medium of helping and uplifting the needy.
"I guarantee you that my NGO has no any political coloration, I find joy in rendering assistance to the needy, because that is my own way of buying the hereafter, as a Muslim we would die one day, and this is one of the way to earn the hereafter."
Shagaya maintained that his NGO is not for any political gains, saying 'I won't take it lightly if any of my members try to give gestures to people based on political standing.'
"We have been able to cater for tens of thousands poor people without any political coloration, through our conditional cash transfer scheme, solar projects and other empowerment and health support interventions. And we are hoping to do more, he said"
Shagaya reiterated that his foundation is just to help people. ''We're doing similar thing in Kaduna, Katsina, but that of Kwara is more pronounced because it is where I come from. Even, there are charities in London that I support. I see a lot of benefit in my business with their (beneficiaries) prayers. Making them happy through my foundation is my joy and that is priceless, for me'. he explained
Talking about the situation of the country at the moment, Shagaya said Nigeria's problem is not from today, the foundation has been bad. He cited example with President 's Gowon administration, you will see him commissioning different plants across the federation, this plants in returns provide jobs for people. But what we have today is a sorry case. How many of those plants are working today? How many has been Commissioned again since then? Do you know how many jobs are lost with the multiplier effects?” Our population keeps growing at alarming rates! we really need to sit as young people and find lasting solutions to all these menace before it gets out of hand. It's not a political thing, it's not APC or PDP thing, we really need to act fast.
Speaking about the rejection of the People's Democratic Party in the 2019 general election by Kwarans', and how has the current administration make difference. Shagaya said
" It maybe too early to judge the AbdulRazaq led administration now while he's still in his 2nd years in Office, but from what I heard, he is doing very well". He added that although he is non partisan, and does not belong to any political party, but politics is part of life, and discussing about the development of the state is also politics.
The Philanthropist urges Nigerian Youths who are frustrated about situation in the country to keep praying for leaders to get it right, saying ''We can't even blame the youths when there's no platform for them to grow or excel. Why do we have Nigerians succeeding in Abroad? Everytime a Nigerians goes to abroad, he/she becomes a super star. It means we're not getting it right here yet. Let's keep praying that we get it right one day.''
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