The Osun State governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Najeem Salaam, has said his experience, exposure and development strategy qualify him to govern the state, promising to grow its economy and reduce its dependence on federal allocations.
Salaam stated this while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he outlined some of his plans for the state if elected governor.
The former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly said his administration would focus on attracting investors, increasing the state’s internally generated revenue and using the additional resources to address critical sectors, including electricity and agriculture.
“I have a clear objective of what I will do. I will ensure investors come and we generate more money. For electricity, we will ensure that we give them 24/7 electricity. The economy and IGR will turn around,” he said.
On agriculture, Salaam said Osun had the potential to generate enough revenue to invest in the sector without continually relying on allocations from the Federal Government.
“For agriculture, we can generate money to improve it without waiting for federal allocation. I can fill in these gaps,” he said.
The ADC candidate said his strategy would be to make the state more financially independent by developing its own revenue-generating capacity and reducing its reliance on Abuja.
“So, the strategy is not depending on the Federal Government before we do things on our own,” Salaam added.
Salaam also spoke about his association with former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, dismissing perceptions that he was merely operating as Aregbesola’s political representative.
“I am not Aregbesola’s man. Just because I know that people are myopic in their thinking, people think I do not know my worth,” he said.
The former lawmaker stressed that his political career predated his association with Aregbesola, noting that he had risen through the grassroots, local government and the Osun State House of Assembly, where he served as Speaker.
“I can stand on my own, and I have been here since grassroots — local government, House of Assembly, Speaker. I am not a dullard,” Salaam said.
He added that while he was proud of his association with Aregbesola, he remained an independent politician with his own agenda and vision for Osun State.
“I am proud to be with him and I am not regretting it. With my level of exposure, I have a clear objective of what I want to do with my ten-point agenda,” he said.