I want to confirm that I am coordinating the #JariBurs bursary program for Sen Jarigbe Agom. I am not a member of his party neither do I have anything or intend to do anything with his political party. But I have written about so many things about our Senatorial District and he agrees to implement some. He listens if you make sense and can articulate your ideas firmly and convincingly.
The ideas have been simple and straight forward. Incrementally replace three days medical outreaches with health insurance policies for our people. Be blind to political party lines. We had #JariCare. You are putting down, N50million for bursary; #JariBurs. Oga, eliminate bursary committees, the committee members will chop at least a quarter of the money and load the list with cronies and acolytes and ask beneficiaries to return part of the money as kick back. Remove individual contact with cash for distribution. Use tech. Remain blind to party lines. Select the people through an unbiased process, across party and non-partisan lines. Be a leader with a large heart. Again, leave party out of it. I will help create a process that, though not perfect, but will ensure 500 people get their 100,000 neatly without stress. Not a dime will miss. I repeat, not one dime will miss. Verifiable data will then be provided and can be retrieved in seconds anytime it is needed.
Senator Jarigbe is not involved in the selection process. He is not sending us any name or requesting that we include any name on the list. I am also not personally interested in adding or squeezing any name into the list. Tech will do that. I can give other people a hundred thousand Naira too for their fees. We need to set a precedence in our Senatorial District, so others will copy. This process will not be perfect, but it will be better than what has been going on in the past and we will take feedback from this and improve on the next one. It is work for our people.
I requested that the Senator should give me and my team a manacle free environment to do our work. What you want is 500 students from Cross River North to get 100k. I will do that for you seamlessly and give you the verifiable data, after. Data that will remain useful for planning as time goes on. My biggest joy at the end of this will be, seeing the testimony of a poor student who is not in Senator Jarigbe’s party, who does not even know Senator Jarigbe, or not have or know anybody to call and lobby, but is very intelligent and could get this 100k assistance from a system that was blind and transparent.
So there is no amount of lobbying or pressure or messages to my inbox that will bulge this process. Stop wasting your time. Health care, education, provision of water etc, aren’t things that we will continue to play politics with. Majority of our people have suffered for too long and we need to take imperative interest in creating long term solutions to these basic problems. We need to eliminate corruption and thievery from these processes to capture more people who have nobody to call or lobby, into an inclusive society. I will continue on this path whenever my input is sought.
The electronic balloting system will be done in the presence of the Senator and his team. Beneficiaries will be published and I will ensure, as the Senator desires, that the 100k gets to all the 500 eligible students.
Yours sincerely,
Citizen Agba Jalingo.
#JariCare
#JariBurs
#JariEnterprise
#JariMoreToCome
Disclaimer: The opinion expressed in this article is strictly that of the author, Agba Jalingo, and does not represent TheLumineNews, its agent or the organization the author works for.