Restructuring: APC Has not Betrayed Nigerians, Says VON DG …Advises Atiku

Restructuring: APC Has not Betrayed

Nigerians, Says VON DG

…Advises Atiku

The Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr. Osita Okechukwu, on Sunday stated that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has not betrayed Nigerians in the ongoing debate on restructuring.

The party leader also asked former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, and other well-meaning Nigerians to join President Muhammadu Buhari in restructuring the deficit infrastructure in Nigeria before embarking on political restructuring.

Okechukwu, who spoke at his hometown, Eke, in Enugu State, while responding to questions from journalists on the statement credited to Atiku questioning the APC for voting against restructuring contrary to the party's manifesto, said the present administration is presently faced with fixing the infrastructure deficit.

He recalled that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did not restructure the infrastructure deficit during its 16-year rule, and APC, which has only been in power for two years, should be given more time.  On the issue of restructuring, the APC chieftain pleaded with Nigerians to think out of the box, pointing out that the voting was not essentially on party lines, but on the Nigerian fault lines or the national question, the same voting pattern in the Abacha, Obasanjo and Jonathan Constitutional Conferences.  

This being the case, he appealed to all Nigerians to join President Buhari in restructuring firstly, the substructure-adequate electricity, modern railways, agrarian revolution, ICT education among others-the foundation on which all other social institutions (superstructure) are built.   On how he could absolve his party, the APC, which controls both the Senate and House of Representatives and which promised Nigerians to not only restructure but to devolve power to the units, Okechukwu said nobody was denying the fact that APC promised devolution of powers, but made it clear that Atiku was too harsh by saying that APC betrayed Nigerians.

 "Yes APC promised devolution of powers, even with our subsequent amendments. Nobody is denying the fact. I was a member of the merger sub-committee of our great party's merger committee co-headed by Tom Ikimi, Ibrahim Shekarau, Garba Gadi of defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), factions of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) led by Senator Annie Okonkwo and Olisaemeka Akumukalai of blessed memory. 

“But, I am disputing the former vice president declaration that APC betrayed Nigerians. Betrayal is a harsh word. What I am saying is that the Nigerian fault line or national question is deeper than APC's manifesto line because of the diversity of our dear nation-dislocated and atrophied by deficit critical infrastructure-which President Buhari is borrowing money to address first. This is my thesis. Let’s think out of the box and join the president to fix the Nigeria deficit infrastructure first," he stated.

On the PDP gaining mileage because of the failure of the APC to join the restructuring mantra, Okechukwu said it was his reason for appealing to Nigerians to think outside the box, warning that they should not be sentimental and play into the hands of PDP's grand propaganda. 

According to the VON boss, it amounts to sheer propaganda going by the history of the developed countries we emulate for the PDP and pro-restructuring to claim that with restructuring, the critical infrastructure would be easier as each region would address it according to its need. 

Okechukwu recalled that at one time or the other, Great Britain, United States, Germany, France, Japan and present day China had a ‘Buhari’ who laid the solid foundation for national railways, electricity, sprawling road network among others, adding that the British railways, the Hoover Dam among others were done by great leaders that come once in a while.

He therefor urged Nigerians to forget skewed appointments which are temporary and transient, and support Buhari, as “this is a golden opportunity for development.” 

Reminded that majority of Nigerians think the regions would develop faster at their own pace, Okechukwu said it was not exactly the true position in Nigeria's trajectory.  He queried: “One, Buhari had doled out over N1 trillion via bailout and Paris funds, and close study showed that many governors didn't judiciously and prudently administer the funds. Are they not the regional heads? Is democracy growing at the state level when all the state houses of assembly are rubber stamp and there is no democratic local council elections?

 Finally, the PDP drumming restructuring, why didn’t they restructure it in their last 16 years in power? Why are PDP Senators obstructing Buhari's loan for infrastructure that is over one year in the National Assembly?"