Ajayi Borofice, deputy senate leader and presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has unveiled a four-pillars agenda of security, economic development, education and human resources development and anti-corruption crusade for Nigeria.
Borrofice announced the plan in Abuja on Saturday at his formal declaration to constest for the 2023 presidential election under the platform of the APC.
The lawmaker representing Ondo north senatorial district said his four-pillars of progressive agenda has nine-point policy priorities as captured in the national development plan.
These are: improved security for all, building a thriving and sustainable economy, enlarged agriculture output for food security, attaining energy sufficiency in power and petroleum products and expanding transport and other infrastructure development.
Others include; expanding business growth, entrepreneurship and industrialisation, improved access to quality education, affordable healthcare and productivity; ehanced social inclusion and reducing poverty, and building systems to fight corruption, improve governance and creatong national cohesion.
On security, Borofice promised to provide adequate funding for security agencies, make them adequately equipped, ensure improved synergy and cooperation amongst security agencies and support the deployment of high technology for security operations.
“To combat the scourge of insurgency, I will sponsor specialised training for counter-insurgency units in security agencies in order to hunt and destroy terrorists in the country. The scourge of kidnapping will be tackled by the special unit by tracking, hunting and destroying kidnapping rings.
“I will sustain Nigeria’s investment in the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) and closely work with neighboring countries like Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger to combat terrorism and protect the territorial integrity of Nigeria.
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“I will seek international help wherever it can be obtained. I will consult with international military planners who have the expertise in combatting insurgencies that we do not have.
“My administration will establish the Ministry of Homeland Security and strategically organise it to effectively manage Immigration and Border Protection Services, Civil Defence, and Amnesty and Rehabilitation Programmes,” he said.
Borofice said to ensure a thriving and sustainable economy, energy sufficiency in power is a pressing need, noting that he has the political will to coordinate good policies that will make the industry work.
He said: “I will build on the achievements of the Petroleum Industry Act to expand investment in the natural gas industry to double our gas processing capacity and significantly expand our gas pipeline transportation capacity.
“I will focus on reducing the investment risk associated with investing in the power industry in Nigeria by making sure amongst other things, that the tariff is cost reflective and significantly reduce exchange rate risk which is negatively affecting the generation industry as of today.
“I will also focus on mitigating the rising expense of electricity tariffs for the poor and vulnerable in Nigeria by directing Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to implement a tiered pricing system in which the lowest tier, those who consume very little electricity, will pay a subsidised rate for electricity.”
Borofice acknowledged that there are many challenges confronting the nation such as corruption, greed, indiscipline, religious bigotry and ethnic intolerance and he would give a holistic approach to them if elected.
“These challenges are surmountable. And the solution is here. The National Development Plan (2021 – 2025) is a well thought out plan on how to address these challenges. I have the political will to mobilise human, financial and natural resources to vigorously implement this plan.
“We shall mainstream science and technology in our national policy and development strategy to drive industrialization. The difference between developed and developing economies is the level of investment and application of science and technology as a tool for National development,” he said.
