{"id":277651,"date":"2011-02-20T05:37:53","date_gmt":"2011-02-20T05:37:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/02\/20\/a-party%e2%80%99s-new-agenda\/"},"modified":"2011-02-20T05:37:53","modified_gmt":"2011-02-20T05:37:53","slug":"a-partys-new-agenda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/02\/20\/a-partys-new-agenda\/","title":{"rendered":"A party\u2019s new agenda"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

By JIDE AJANI,Editor (Northern Operations) Emman Ovuakporie
Last Wednesday, in the nation\u2019s capital, Abuja, specifically at the This Day Dome, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), held a colloquium heralding its campaigns for the April general elections.\u00a0 Reminiscent of a political rally but with intellectual content,\u00a0 ACN brought together its candidates for the elections and used the event to launch its manifesto and agenda for Nigeria.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

From right, party chieftain, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; presidential candidate, Malam Nuhu Ribadu; Governor Raufu Aregbesola of Osun State and Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, and others at the unveiling of the manifesto and agenda of ACN to Nigerians in Abuja. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

One could feel the scent of optimism for change in the air, as the party\u2019s presidential candidate, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, pointed out. Why not!\u00a0 The party had within three months got judicial victories turning over two states\u2019 governorship over to it in Ekiti and Osun states, bringing the number of states under its belt to four and, thereby, making it the second party in the land and the major opposition to the ruling Peoples\u2019 Democratic Party (PDP).<\/p>\n

Party\u2019s big wigs at the event included former governors Chris Ngige and\u00a0 Saminu Turaki of Anambra and\u00a0 Jigawa states\u2019 respectively, all gubernatorial candidates of the party, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, Chief Ovie Omo-Agege, Chief Audu Ogbe, Chief Tom Ikimi, Alhaji Yusuf Ali, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Chief Abiye Sekibo, Senator James Kolawole, Alhaji Siedu Malami, all House of Representatives and senatorial candidates.<\/p>\n

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State, was obviously the centre of attraction \u2013 he is the undisputed leader of the party, having deployed massive human and financial resources and logistics to the sustenance of the party not only in the Southwest geo-political zone but also across\u00a0 the entire country.<\/p>\n

In contemporary politicking in the country, ACN has suddenly become a refuge of sorts for politicians who feel aggrieved at whatever perceived or real injustices received from their former parties. This explains why people like Araraume (from Imo State) and Senator Akpan Udo Uduedeghe (Akwa Ibom State) were also in attendance \u2013 they were both formerly of PDP.<\/p>\n

On the occasion, Ribadu, the former anti-corruption czar,\u00a0 tasked Nigerians on the importance of \u201cservice of restarting the agenda that makes democracy meaningful in the lives of citizens.\u201d He warned that \u201cif we fail to urgently realise the vision of a modern Nigeria, the echoes of currently muted, but potentially destabilising change will soon consume our land.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also, former PDP national chairman,\u00a0 Ogbeh; Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State,\u00a0 his Lagos State counterpart, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, and Tinubu all took turns to express disappointment at the state of the nation, insisting that the PDP administration of the last 12 years had failed Nigerians.<\/p>\n

According to Ribadu, \u201cthis is a season of change and its sweet scent is in the air.<\/p>\n

\u201cChange has come to our doorsteps, the sacrificial lamb is already in revolt and while the other parties cannot grasp the significance of this silent revolution, our party must help advance it to the next logical stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the citizens of other countries are protesting dictatorship in their countries, in Nigeria let us act sensibly to take advantage of the fact that we have the opportunity to affect change every four years through the ballot.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the face of its shoddy report card from over two decades of abysmal failure at governance, PDP can at least be self-respecting to excuse itself from the dignified gathering of true apostles of change. And, from the opposition parties, since the ACN has exhibited evidence of competent leadership in the four states it is administering, we clearly earn the historic responsibility of leading the mission of change.<\/p>\n

Our challenge now is to reproduce that example of competent leadership at the centre when we take over the reins of power and form the next government come May 29.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnless we actively disable the capacity of corruption to regenerate, through a cocktail of excellent laws, professional enforcement engagements and a vigourous public education on its dangers to our social health, no governance policy will work here, however, excellent in planning and execution\u201d.<\/p>\n

Ribadu explained that an\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ACN administration would ensure that unstable power supply\u00a0 became a thing of the past, just as other sectors and aspects of the Nigerian being would receive a fillip.<\/p>\n

Earlier, Ogbeh, who was also a second republic communications minister and chairman of the party\u2019s manifesto committee, explained that the committee was set up six weeks ago and that their party was ready to make life worth living for Nigerians.<\/p>\n

Ogbeh\u00a0 then reeled out the areas he described as \u201cvery critical for our party: national security and defence; housing, where he said ACN was prepared to give Nigerians one million housing units every year; agriculture and rural integration, education, health, oil and solid minerals, power, public sector reform, fight against corruption, foreign policy, manufacturing and sports.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before the ACN manifesto committee chair\u00a0 took the podium, Fayemi said what\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ACN was attempting to do is to\u00a0 galvanise the people to stand up for their convictions and for the future of Nigeria.\u00a0 He said the party is ruled by the ideology of transformation and not the ideology of transaction. He then\u00a0 took a swipe at President Goodluck Jonathan, saying ACN \u201cis a party of radicals and not one of rascals\u201d.<\/p>\n

For\u00a0 Fashola, the PDP does not have the manifesto to galvanise the public service to maximum productivity. He said the success story of Lagos State was largely dependent on the civil service \u201cbecause I claim no experience in governance apart from my years as Chief of Staff from 2002 till 2006 and a studied demand response of the state which took us round Lagos for 66 days. But, it is not a four-year story but that of 12 years because I was fortunate to have succeeded a visionary leader like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who laid the bridge for the developmental strides the state has recorded so far.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking later, Tinubu said nobody is dictating to the presidential flagbearer of the party, a reference to reports that there was a rift between him and Ribadu on who should be presidential running-mate in the coming election.
Asked whether the merger talks could still continue, the Asiwaju simply said, \u201cI am here to discuss the manifesto of ACN not any other party, we are here to find solutions to the numerous problems of this country. For instance, 12 million youths are unemployed. How do we get them jobs?<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is an avenue for us to discuss agriculture, housing problems, the 12 million unemployed youths and how to move the country forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

The party can no longer be described as that tiny opposition party that had a one-man standing state government in late 2008 any longer as it now has four states.<\/p>\n

Last year, the party wore a new toga by changing from Action Congress (AC), to Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN),\u00a0 giving it a national look rather than being looked upon as a regional party.<\/p>\n

Today, ACN has moved several steps ahead to send a message to PDP that, this time, it is not going to be a push-over in the general elections.<\/p>\n

Deputy National Chairman of the party, Mr. Boss Mustapha, said the idea of the party\u2019s colloquium \u201caffords us two opportunities; firstly, through it, the party would properly articulate its well-thought policy options as encapsulated in our manifesto and present same to Nigerians against the backdrop of the unprecedented energy crisis, high level insecurity the type this country has never witnessed in all its existence, dilapidated infrastructure, pervasive poverty and collapsed social services, in spite of enhanced earnings.\u201d<\/p>\n

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