By Christiana Ekpa
Yusuf Gagdi, the member representing Pankshin/Kanam/Kanke Federal Constituency of Plateau State in the House of Representatives and speakership aspirant for the 10th Assembly has promised to correct some anomalies in the country’s budget.
According to him, he intends to stop reinitiation of projects not completed in a budget cycle in another appropriation document due to political intention, thereby wasting taxpayers’ money.
The chairman, House committee on Navy said this while briefing journalists after interaction with Alex Otti, the Abia state governor-elect and House of Representatives members-elect on the platform of Labour Party (LP) as well other stakeholders in Enugu state.
The lawmaker promised to be a speaker for all Nigerians irrespective of religious, ethnic and political differences; promote good legislation, justice and progress of the country.
Gagdi said for fairness and equity, the position of the speaker in the 10th Assembly be zoned to the north-central even as he promised to adhere to the decision of his party, the All Progressive Congress (APC).
The former deputy speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly said who announced that he will be flagging off his campaign between
April 25 and 30, said he has visited 24 governors across the country about his ambition.
“Yesterday I commenced my public engagements which I have visited Lagos to meet with Governor-elect Abia state and members of Labour Party. Abia has seven members from the Labour Party in the House of Representatives. From there I flew to Enugu to engage and have interaction with state party chairman of Labour Party as well as the governorship candidate of Labour Party in Enugu state.
“Those are important for me because someone will wonder why this aspirant for speakership going to visit a governorship candidate that was just declared a governor. Engaging a governor who has majority in the House of Representatives is important.
“Yesterday was the first public engagement I had but silently I have visited 24 governors across the country. I am looking at the 25th of this month to 30th to flagoff my campaign.
“I intend to stop initiation of proliferation of projects. Project will commence with tax payers money and it won’t be completed, another similar project will be initiated due to political intention. That is what is wasting taxpayers money.
“I have intentions to correct these, in the area of justice I feel I’m from the north-central and the region deserves to be speaker if you are zoning it to northern Nigeria.
It’s only north central that has not produced speaker in the past years.
“I want to be speaker for the Nigerian people. I don’t want to be regional speaker. God’s willing I will be speaker for the Nigerian people irrespective of tribe, religion. I will be speaker that my primary responsibility is to add value to the people of this county.
“The qualities that I will expect from the next speaker is capacity, sincerity, honesty and commitment. I want to see a just speaker. A speaker that will protect the interest of the people of all the geopolitical formations in Nigeria irrespective of population and what have you,” he stated.
