Comrade Issa Aremu, NEC member of NLC and General Secretary of Textile Workers Union has formally declared to run for 2019 Governorship election in Kwara State under the Labour Party of Nigeria. He made the declaration at the Nelson Mandela centenary birthday celebration attended by politicians, thousands of trade union activists and well wishers in Ilorin on Wednesday.
The labour leader who was the Guest speaker at Mandela centenary activity said he was motivated to join the gubernatorial race because Kwara state needs “a radical change from underdevelopment, mass hunger, and poverty”. Comrade Aremu who regretted that unlike first generation states such as Kano, Rivers and Lagos, which he said had advanced in roads, health, education, security and public welfare, Kwara in recent times is poorly governed through what he called “exclusivist unaccountable governance” adding that it was time kwarans organized and enthroned inclusive governance for mass prosperity for all. He observed that “well- having” of the few ruling elite had denied “the well- being” of many Kwarans.
He recalled that at creation, Kwara was the “fastest growing” state with bold Development Plans which laid solid foundations for accelerated economic growth, increased productivity in agriculture, industrial development and improved the quality of life of the people through the provision of necessary infrastructure adding that “Kwara must return to development planning.”
He lamented that Kwara state ranks 28th on the ranking of states by states GDP “beaten to it by newest states like, Imo, Edo and Oyo, adding that his governorship governance, will bring back productivity through reindustrialization.
The declaration of comrade Aremu was preceded by an interactive session on the “State of (Kwara) State” during which discussants were unanimous that most of the industries in the state have closed down with mass loss of thousands of jobs of youths. They resolved that Kwara State needed a dynamic accountable leadership that must be ambitious with state building. **It was also resolved that African leaders should lead like Mandela with a call on Nigeria to learn to celebrate its great leaders like Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Tafawa Balewa, Obafemi Awolowo among others just like South Africa.
Earlier on Wednesday, there was a fitness exercise at Kwara Stadium Ilorin, awareness on HIV/AIDS and free blood pressure test as part of activities marking the centenary birthday celebration of Nelson Mandela.
Wednesday July 18 is Nelson Mandela International Day (or Mandela Day) as officially declared by the United Nations in November 2009. This year’s Mandela Day assumes special importance because it marks the 100th birth day of the global icon, the first non-racial democratically elected President of South Africa.
The main objective is to inspire individuals and organizations to take action to help change the world for the better, for at least 67 minutes in appreciation of the 67 years, Mandela has fought for social justice.
