By Ben Ogbemudia, Abuja
Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state and chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors Forum on Tuesday said the party is ready and poised to write a new positive chapter for Nigeria.
Tambuwal in his opening remarks at a retreat for the newly elected national officers of the party at Nigerian Air Force centre, Kado district, Abuja said the Retreat was coming at the heels of the highly acclaimed successful 2021 PDP National Convention which is a time to think, plan, ponder and strategize on the way forward, saying For “by failing to (plan) and prepare, you are preparing to fail” (Benjamin Frankin) which it shows unmistakably that the PDP is back.
He described the All Progressives Congress as a rickety vehicle that cannot take Nigeria to its destination as the nation with possibilities for greatness and progress.
The PDP Governors Forum chairman said the PDP is now once again a well-oiled, serviced vehicle that will midwife the Nigeria of their dreams.
According to him, “It is indeed time to rescue and rebuild Nigeria. Nigeria is in urgent need of a surgical operation. Nigeria is in a permanent emergency.
” We all know what the problems are. They are man-made. And is therefore resolvable. It requires a focused, determined, knowledgeable and patriotic organisation of like minds to build the critical mass necessary for a great leap forward. Yes, it requires leadership, with vision and discipline.
“We suffer from a crisis of Governance. The unity of Nigeria is facing unprecedented challenges. Life in Nigeria is increasingly becoming brutish and short as insecurity ravages the land. Poverty is the forte of the ordinary Nigerian. The health and education of our people has not improved. Our people are in want. The economy is in dire straits with the exchange rate now about N540 to a Dollar from the N150 to a Dollar when PDP left office. Prices of foodstuff and essential commodities are unsustainable. Clearly beyond the reach of the average Nigerian.
While welcoming you all to the Retreat put together for the Newly Elected Officers of the PDP with the Theme: “It is time to Rescue and Rebuild Nigeria”, he used the opportunity to once again congratulate newly elected National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, other members of the National Working Committee and other officers.
Tambuwal stressed that between 35 to 40% of Nigerians are unemployed, women and Youths bear the main brunt, Bandits, kidnappers, terrorists are having a field day with an almost unchallenged while the children are not safe even in their schools.
“Corruption still stalk the land. Nepotism, ethnic and religious bigotry reign supreme in today’s APC’s Nigeria. Our infrastructure is still comatose.
” Trust and hope in Nigeria is at its lowest. Our lamentations can go on, ad infinitum. But the test of leadership is the ability to solve problems. What solutions will PDP offer? What is the way forward?
Well, this is why we have gathered here, to brainstorm and offer policy options for Nigeria. We cannot only criticise, we must provide workable solutions and clear policy alternatives. This will be presented to the Nigerian people. A sharp contrast must be drawn with the ruling incompetent and rudderless APC administration.
PDP has shown that it has learnt its lessons. It is ready for power in 2023. To provide hope where ineptitude currently exists.
Where APC thrives in excuses, PDP will take responsibility. Where APC thrives in propaganda and deceit, PDP will be transparent with Nigerians. Whereas APC Government thrives in insecurity, PDP will secure Nigeria. Whereas APC presides over Nigeria as the poverty capital of the world, PDP will make Nigeria prosperous. APC has wrecked our economy, but PDP will salvage it. Where APC focuses on selective anti-corruption fight, PDP will fight corruption with appropriate institutional reforms.
This Retreat has assembled an array of experienced experts, political party administrators, economists and other faculties.
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While we await these interventions, permit me to mention an issue of great importance. Nigeria must embrace restructuring to survive. It must restructure its polity, economy, security and ways of doing things. It must embrace relative autonomy and decentralisation of power. This will unleash the energies of our people, especially, the young. It is time to allow Nigeria to blossom. It is doable with all hands on deck.
Secondly, we must embrace innovation and technology as a way of life. Technology will solve the youth unemployment time bomb. Technology will improve our agriculture, health, industrialisation, education and indeed, it has implications and impacts on all facets of our lives. It is in this respect that we continue to condemn the Twitter ban as a retrogressive action that should never have happened.
Can Nigeria survive another 4 years of APC? The answer is a resounding No. It is too frightening to contemplate.
PDP remains the only credible alternative to APC and we cannot afford to fail Nigerians. We must keep hope alive. We can do it. Yes, we can, as Obama would say.
The revitalized PDP shall be true to the words of our national anthem, “To build a nation where peace and justice shall reign.”
