By Terna Chikpa
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the House of Representatives for Ibi/Wukari Federal Constituency of Taraba State, Hon. Muktar Galadima, on Sunday said his decision to build a 50-bed capacity hospital in Ibi Local Government Area was to tackle the long-standing challenges of access to healthcare in the constituency.
Galadima spoke in Wukari, Wukari Local Government Area, while launching his campaign for the 2027 National Assembly election.
According to the former Director of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), the project was not intended to draw political attention but to address the health needs of the constituency.
“Long before now, access to healthcare in my constituency has been a challenge, especially in Ibi Local Government. My decision to build the hospital is not to draw political attention, but to guarantee the health needs of the people.
“I have considered it necessary that the health of the people is primary before politics. The 50-bed capacity hospital, which is due for commissioning in a month’s time, I believe will go a long way in liberating constituents from the plight,” Galadima explained.
The PDP Rep candidate also assured that he would primarily focus on partnerships with government agencies and organisations to attract jobs for constituents.
He expressed optimism that youth empowerment through ICT and other skills and innovations would reduce the rate of dependency and progressively transform the people towards self-reliance.
“If elected, I will primarily focus on partnerships that would create job opportunities for people, especially the youth. While I see security as a key area of focus, I will ensure collaboration between local and conventional security to boost the safety of the constituency,” he assured.
While urging constituents to intensify mobilisation free from actions capable of attracting violence across the constituency, Galadima pledged to pursue legislation that would bring mining into the Concurrent Legislative List, allowing states and local communities to carry out mining activities within their domain.
He also promised to regularly consult with constituents to enable him to approach the government with the desired needs of the people.
Meanwhile, the state party chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Sale, called on supporters to work collectively to strengthen the party’s grassroots structure and improve its chances of winning at the polls.
He also appealed to political actors and supporters to conduct their campaigns peacefully and avoid actions capable of creating tension among communities.
