Dr. Umar Mantu, son of former Deputy Senate President Ibrahim Mantu, on Tuesday in Jos declared interest in contesting the Mangu/Bokkos Federal Constituency seat.
Mantu, a 32-year-old lawyer, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), shortly after meeting with the Plateau state working committee of the PDP, said that he was motivated by “an innate desire to serve humanity’’.
He decried the dearth of basic facilities in his constituency and promised to seek projects that would improve living standards.
“I feel particularly perturbed at the poor quality of healthcare in my constituency. There are no good hospitals and the schools are in bad shape.
“The youths are energetic and ready to work. They are educated and ambitious, but they have no opportunities.
“The area is generally rural and the people are agrarian, but even basic fertilizer is lacking, making it difficult for the farmers to go beyond basic subsistence farming.
“What I intend to do is to look at these potentialities and work out ways to explore them toward a better life for my people,’’ he said.
On the persistent violence in Plateau, Mantu blamed that on the massive indolence among youths, saying that hands usually available for such evil would be reduced if there were jobs for the youths.
Mantu also emphasized the need for more education to enlighten people on the need for peaceful co-existence, pointing out that development would always elude the state if the chaos continued.
The aspirant also promised to work toward promoting mutual respect among the residents of Plateau.
“There must be mutual respect along ethnic, tribal and religious lines; once there is mutual respect, there will be mutual confidence and mutual trust,’’ he said.
Mantu expressed confidence that he would pick the PDP ticket and win the general elections because he was representing the youths, who constituted a bulk of the voters in his constituency.
Mantu will slug it out with the incumbent, Rep. Solomon Maren, for the PDP ticket.
Also in the race is former North-Central Zonal Director of the FRCN, Mr Sylvanus Namang, as well as Mr Danlami Jenka, a former director with the Bureau for Public Enterprises.
