By Myke Uzendu
Governors elected on the platform of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday emphasized the need for the restructuring of the nation for Nigeria to regain her lost gloryThe major opposition party governors stated this at a two-day event organized for National Working Committee, NWC members-elect in Abuja on Tuesday.
Chairman, PDP Governors’ Forum, Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, regretted that Nigeria under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APCgovernment has in the past six years, failed to take the heights expected by its citizens, adding that as a result, the PDP must strategize to take over in 2023.According to him: “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.
“A rickety vehicle cannot take Nigeria to its destination as the nation with possibilities for greatness and progress. PDP is now once again a well-oiled, serviced vehicle that will midwife the Nigeria of our dreams.“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 are 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 have 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.”
Tambuwal explained that the ruling APC has clearly demonstrated gross incompetence in managing the fortune of the country, saying, “between 35 to 40 per cent of Nigerians are unemployed and women and youths bear the main brunt. Bandits, kidnappers, terrorists are having a field day, almost unchallenged. Our children are not safe even in their schools.
“Corruption still stalks the land. Nepotism, ethnic and religious bigotry reign supreme in today’s All Progressives Congress, APC’s Nigeria. Our infrastructure is still comatose.
“Trust and hope in Nigeria are at their lowest. Our lamentations can go on, ad infinitum. But the test of leadership is the ability to solve problems.”
He called on PDP leaders to think outside the box, rather than resorting to criticisms only and rescue Nigeria for good.
“We cannot only criticize, but we must also 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.
“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
“The damage done by the APC is pretty obvious – insecurity everywhere, including shared sovereignty with criminal and terrorist gangs, a collapsed economy with a comatose manufacturing sector, soaring prices, naira near worthless, interest rates very high, with the Central Bank of Nigeria picking and choosing winners and losers and virtually running a parallel government, (which even leaves the Vice President confused), collapsed infrastructure, terrorist sympathizers in government, and confusion everywhere, as Fela would say,” he added
