By JOHN ONAH, Abuja –
A gubernatorial aspirant of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Benue state come 2023, Barrister Paul Angya has disclosed that he will build governance in the state on standard if given the opportunity.
The aspirant who disclosed this in Abuja at an interactive session with Middle Belt Journalists on his ambition to govern the state come 2023, tagged ‘My New Deal for Benue People’, said Standard can set out processes and procedures of governance that if followed diligently, will make one achieve his dreams.
According to him, Donald Trump has done everything possible to sub-let American democracy; the only thing that stopped him is the institutional standard that is established in that country.
Angya who described himself as ‘simple and ordinary gentleman with a big dream for Benue state’, said the dream for the state did not come because he spent all his live sleeping but as a result of spending all his lives working.
“You have to work hard for the promise of God to come upon you. The opportunity to work at standard organization of Nigeria (SON), have given me the exposure to standardization. It has given me the privilege to see development across the world. With that, I strive at any point in time to do everything to standard”.
“Standards are meant to connect the world. So working in that sector for so many years and rose to the position of Director General, the job has given me every opportunity in working virtually in every country of the world because standard is internationalized”.
On how to change the fortune of the state through revenue generation, the gubernatorial hopeful said he has identified too many revenue leakages and as such would eliminate cash transactions and run a cashless state and also work towards concession of facilities.
“I have the blessing of God to look for this job, am an individual with big dream and for you to gain you have make sacrifice. I left my job six years before my retirement because I have dream for my people, therefore I have studied the situation on the ground and have known the problems facing my people. Therefore I urged you the media to sell my candidature to the good people of Benue state”, he said.
Speaking on the area of corruption, he opined that “corruption is not peculiar to Benue state but global. It is endemic, in culture, is a systemic thing, it is not just unique to Africa, it a global thing. Europes are more corrupt. You can see the corruption of politics by Donald Trump, I feel like hiding my face even though am not an American. But they have in place measures to tackle it”.
According to him, he will deploy technology into business enterprises of the state and in revenue generation which will discourage physical cash interaction and make the state cashless society.
He promised to provide functional education system for the people of Benue as according to him, he is blessed with human resources to change stories of public schools in Benue state.
“I want to look at revenue generation as a means of industrializing the state and create employment for the teeming youth of Benue state”, he added.
While scoring Gov. Ortom high on area of security in the state, he said he will leverage on his achievements and start from where he stopped by industrializing the state and create employment maintaining that those elements and security are interwoven.
Dr. (Barr) Paul Angya is the husband of the first female VC of Benue State University Prof Charity Angya & the immediate past DG of Standard Organization of Nigeria, SON.
Not much was heard about him politically until in 2019 during the PDP guber primaries where he aspired to unseat Gov Samuel Ortom.
He believes he has what it takes to turn around the food basket of Nigeria and that God has spoken with him on this. Realising the role of the media, “I want you journalists to convey my message to the Benue people and ask God to use Gov Ortom to anoint my new pact”.
Dr Angya also believes that Benue is yet to get the Messiah needed for this uphill task but acknowledge that the foundation of all the previous leaders are required to build an enduring state that will convert even the street boys to part of the infrastructural merchant of economic recovery for a better Benue.
Benue has all the capacity to become the hubcentre of the Middle belt Commerce- Dr.Paul Angya
Ortom had done wonderful well to protect Benue state, it is left for any incoming Governor to solidify His achievements through careful implementation of the laws- Dr.Paul Angya
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