26th September, 2018
Mr Fulus Pam, who is seeking election into the Plateau House of Assembly, says he will pay special attention to drug addiction and alcoholism among youths if elected in 2019.
“A major problem in my constituency is the attitude of the youths; a lot of them are into drugs and alcohol.
“They spend very precious time at drinking joints, while some are hooked on drugs. As a social worker, I will initiate bills that will end such anti-social attitudes,” Pam told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Tuesday in Jos.
Pam, who is aspiring for the position on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), said that he would work with government, NGOs and other groups to empower the youths to live more productive lives.
Blaming the youths’ behaviour on unemployment and idleness, he said that he would initiate periodic meetings with such youths and would not hesitate to follow them to the “dark corners” where they take drugs.
“As a professional in social work, I know that to correct a social deviant, one must first identify with, and befriend him or her.
“I intend to do everything possible to make them see the need to end such behaviour so as to avoid the path to destruction,” he said.
Pam promised to tackle youths indolence by empowering them with some skills.
“When they get engaged in positive ventures, they will not have the time for social vices.
“I have already started discussing with some NGOs toward securing soft loans to enable youths and women start up some little businesses that will make them self-reliant and improve their economic status,” he said.
The aspirant said that he would not wait for constituency allocation to empower his people or meet their needs, saying that he would collaborate with local and international donor agencies.
“The mistake most legislators do is to wait for constituency allocations before embarking on tangible projects for the people they represent. It is high time we started thinking outside the box.”
Pam promised to improve the standard of education among young people in his constituency by lobbying for admission slots for those qualified and rendering financial assistance to the indigent.
The aspirant said that he would establish avenues for constant communication with his constituents to ensure effective feedback mechanism and facilitate constant self-assessment.