Former Lagos State Governor and
National Leader of the All
Progressives Congress (APC),
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has
described the Jonathan
administration as one that routinely
abuses power and manipulates the
people.
Speaking as after-dinner speaker and
special guest of honor at the NG
Annual Dinner at the Muson Centre in
Lagos on Thursday, Tinubu drew a
distinction between the PDP and the
APC, saying the Jonathan PDP
government was spinning recklessly
out of control in terms of spending,
corruption in the oil sector and other
slush funds channelled through
government programmes to fill the
pockets of party loyalists.
Tinubu said Nigerians are yet to get a
satisfactory explanation on the
400,000 barrels stolen daily. He
opined that the NNPC has been
converted into an ATM.
“As I have said previously, the Sure-P
project is a drain pipe; a slush fund
for political patronage. For instance,
the N253.5 billion alleged to have
being spent on projects by the
Federal government as at December
2013, is not reflective in the lives of
ordinary Nigerians. In 2012, about
N180 billion accrued to the Federal
Government in Sure-P alone.”
Under the heavy weight of corruption,
heavy dose of insecurity, the ticking
time bomb of youth unemployment
and a near total absence of
institutional rationalisation, Nigeria
under President Jonathan trudges on
like a battered engine in need of a
complete overhaul; in fact, a change
of engine.
Tinubu used his experience as the
governor of Lagos as a tool to
examine what is wrong with Nigeria
today both politically and
economically.
According to him, Nigeria is trapped
in a disarticulated economy
occasioning poverty and frustration
on people. “The African Development
Bank (AFDB), in its African Economic
Outlook report of 2013, revealed that
poverty has worsened since 1996 and
through 11 years of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) rule. The
efforts of President Jonathan’s
government to combat poverty were
also faulted,” he said.
The former governor said that in the
current economic environment, it is
almost impossible for Nigeria to meet
any of the predictions about its
prosperity.
“The projection by the British
Economist, Jim O’Neil, that Nigeria
will soon emerge, at least, in the next
30 years alongside three other
countries as an economic giant, will
for long be a mirage.
“O’Neil predicted that Mexico,
Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey are to
become what he refers to as ‘MINT.’
We all know that this is another
Vision 2020 gimmick; a very distant
hope with no chance of coming to
fruition. Let us not for once, delude
ourselves that this is possible. A
country that is yet to export the
smallest plastic product or one that
generates a miserable 12 per cent of
the total energy needs of the country
can never be a candidate for MINT,
BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China
and South Africa) and Vision 2020.
Our energy woes abide.”
Tinubu was asked to explain the
vision and mission of the new party,
APC and offer an insight into the
ideology of the party.
He said: “We formed this party to
improve the lot and the lives of those
who don’t have. We formed it to bring
dignity, hope, justice and the reality of
prosperity to those Nigerians who
seek these things. The PDP has never
been a friend of the people and each
year it becomes less of one. They
have turned their backs on the
people. Now, it is time the people
turned their backs on the PDP. The
PDP claims we don’t have an
ideology. We have an ideology but it
is one PDP can’t understand. What
the arrogant and mean don’t
understand, they pretend does not
exist.
”One can no longer dance on both
sides of the fence. Either you are
resolute for justice or for injustice.
Stake your claim and sign your name
to it so history may record your
decision and your deeds at this
critical hour.
”For me, I have but one life thus I
have but one choice. I choose the
right way. I follow the APC. I urge you
all to hitch a ride on the rescue
mission APC is about and rally for
change and the re-building of a
Nigeria that meets our dream,”
Tinubu said, adding; “We have come
to a moment in time when there is no
time to waffle, obfuscate or prattle.
Beginning from now and as we
march toward the elections of 2015,
the people shall decide whether they
want to enshrine injustice, inequality
and the rule of arbitrary might over
their lives or they want to build a finer
existence where the light of fairness,
prosperity and the rule of law shines
on all.”
The NG is an association of core
professionals drawn from diverse
fields and mostly Lagos-based. The
NG group formed in 1998 has
produced governors, ministers,
commissioners and key
functionaries. It is an informal think
tank, a sounding board of sorts for
government and policy makers.
Mr. Wale Edun, the chairman of the
NG group, welcomed all members
and expressed delight that Tinubu
found time to honor their invitation.
http://ift.tt/LGn2IH Please drop your comments below...
National Leader of the All
Progressives Congress (APC),
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has
described the Jonathan
administration as one that routinely
abuses power and manipulates the
people.
Speaking as after-dinner speaker and
special guest of honor at the NG
Annual Dinner at the Muson Centre in
Lagos on Thursday, Tinubu drew a
distinction between the PDP and the
APC, saying the Jonathan PDP
government was spinning recklessly
out of control in terms of spending,
corruption in the oil sector and other
slush funds channelled through
government programmes to fill the
pockets of party loyalists.
Tinubu said Nigerians are yet to get a
satisfactory explanation on the
400,000 barrels stolen daily. He
opined that the NNPC has been
converted into an ATM.
“As I have said previously, the Sure-P
project is a drain pipe; a slush fund
for political patronage. For instance,
the N253.5 billion alleged to have
being spent on projects by the
Federal government as at December
2013, is not reflective in the lives of
ordinary Nigerians. In 2012, about
N180 billion accrued to the Federal
Government in Sure-P alone.”
Under the heavy weight of corruption,
heavy dose of insecurity, the ticking
time bomb of youth unemployment
and a near total absence of
institutional rationalisation, Nigeria
under President Jonathan trudges on
like a battered engine in need of a
complete overhaul; in fact, a change
of engine.
Tinubu used his experience as the
governor of Lagos as a tool to
examine what is wrong with Nigeria
today both politically and
economically.
According to him, Nigeria is trapped
in a disarticulated economy
occasioning poverty and frustration
on people. “The African Development
Bank (AFDB), in its African Economic
Outlook report of 2013, revealed that
poverty has worsened since 1996 and
through 11 years of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) rule. The
efforts of President Jonathan’s
government to combat poverty were
also faulted,” he said.
The former governor said that in the
current economic environment, it is
almost impossible for Nigeria to meet
any of the predictions about its
prosperity.
“The projection by the British
Economist, Jim O’Neil, that Nigeria
will soon emerge, at least, in the next
30 years alongside three other
countries as an economic giant, will
for long be a mirage.
“O’Neil predicted that Mexico,
Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey are to
become what he refers to as ‘MINT.’
We all know that this is another
Vision 2020 gimmick; a very distant
hope with no chance of coming to
fruition. Let us not for once, delude
ourselves that this is possible. A
country that is yet to export the
smallest plastic product or one that
generates a miserable 12 per cent of
the total energy needs of the country
can never be a candidate for MINT,
BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China
and South Africa) and Vision 2020.
Our energy woes abide.”
Tinubu was asked to explain the
vision and mission of the new party,
APC and offer an insight into the
ideology of the party.
He said: “We formed this party to
improve the lot and the lives of those
who don’t have. We formed it to bring
dignity, hope, justice and the reality of
prosperity to those Nigerians who
seek these things. The PDP has never
been a friend of the people and each
year it becomes less of one. They
have turned their backs on the
people. Now, it is time the people
turned their backs on the PDP. The
PDP claims we don’t have an
ideology. We have an ideology but it
is one PDP can’t understand. What
the arrogant and mean don’t
understand, they pretend does not
exist.
”One can no longer dance on both
sides of the fence. Either you are
resolute for justice or for injustice.
Stake your claim and sign your name
to it so history may record your
decision and your deeds at this
critical hour.
”For me, I have but one life thus I
have but one choice. I choose the
right way. I follow the APC. I urge you
all to hitch a ride on the rescue
mission APC is about and rally for
change and the re-building of a
Nigeria that meets our dream,”
Tinubu said, adding; “We have come
to a moment in time when there is no
time to waffle, obfuscate or prattle.
Beginning from now and as we
march toward the elections of 2015,
the people shall decide whether they
want to enshrine injustice, inequality
and the rule of arbitrary might over
their lives or they want to build a finer
existence where the light of fairness,
prosperity and the rule of law shines
on all.”
The NG is an association of core
professionals drawn from diverse
fields and mostly Lagos-based. The
NG group formed in 1998 has
produced governors, ministers,
commissioners and key
functionaries. It is an informal think
tank, a sounding board of sorts for
government and policy makers.
Mr. Wale Edun, the chairman of the
NG group, welcomed all members
and expressed delight that Tinubu
found time to honor their invitation.
http://ift.tt/LGn2IH Please drop your comments below...
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