PDP At 17… Still The Only True National Party
Gentlemen of the Press,
Today marks the 17th anniversary of our great party, the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) and we want to, through you, address our dear
nation on this auspicious milestone in the history of our nation.
The PDP, as a party wishes to express profound appreciation to the
Nigerian people for their support and the opportunity to lead the
country for 16 years, during which we recorded unprecedented
achievements despite the daunting challenges we collectively faced as a
nation.
As you may be aware, this great party was founded on August 31, 1998
following the vision of pragmatic men and women of the highest integrity
and outstanding ability and knowledge, who set aside the mundane demands
of their varying ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds in the
national interest.
We recall with pride that the founding fathers of the PDP are heroes who
rose to the challenge, stood up for million of other citizens,
confronted the military and restored genuine democracy, national unity
and stability, entrenched the rule of law and enlarged the political
space we all enjoy today.
Over the years, the PDP has shown strength as the only Nigerian
political party that is completely owned and controlled by the Nigerian
people; with structures in all the nooks and crannies of the country;
and where no individual or group of individuals can claim ownership or
allowed to appropriate the interest of the generality of the members.
This unique national outlook clearly informs PDP’s irrevocable stance on
politics of national integration which ensured that no group or section
in the polity is excluded from power, public office and spread of
development projects, in line with the federal character principle of
our great country.
The PDP stands tall in history as the first political party in Nigeria
to nurture and sustain democratic system of government and a stable
polity uninterrupted for 16 years. This did not come by accident, but
through meticulous application, by successive PDP administrations, of
policies as enshrined in the party’s ideology and manifesto, which
within the ambit of the laws, achieved and sustained success in all
sectors of the polity and economy.
When the PDP took office in 1999, it quickly formed government and
calmly, but vigorously applied itself to service, initiating reforms,
and facing the challenges inherited from past military regimes, without
resorting to blames, blackmail and propaganda.
At the time PDP came to power, Nigeria’s image internationally was in a
deplorable state, with very poor human rights records. The onus of
restoring it from its pariah status then rested squarely on the PDP-led
government, which it successfully executed, returning the nation to its
pride of place in the comity of nations.
The PDP-led government under former President Olusegun Obasanjo went
further to work assiduously to settle foreign debts accumulated by
previous administrations and extricated the nation’s economy from
burdens of the London and Paris Clubs debt overhang.
Furthermore, in line with the determination to establish a moral and
ethical society guided by such core values as honesty, integrity and
justice, as contained in its manifesto, the PDP administration set up
the Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence Unit, otherwise known as
Due Process Unit, which ensured transparency in government procurements
and spending.
The PDP government, in the same vein, immediately established the two
major anti-corruption agencies, the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other
Related Offences Commission (ICPC), with strict establishing and
operation laws to ensure effectiveness and immunity from executive
interferences. Down the years, SERVICOM desks were opened in ministries
and agencies to further ensure ethical standards in government
businesses.
As a result of this deliberate policies, human right and business
friendly environment were created and it saw to the massive return of
Nigerians in the Diaspora and the influx of direct foreign investments
into the country.
Also, in keeping with the vision of our founding fathers to build a
qualitative democratic society, successive PDP administrations for 16
years nurtured and sustained national unity and cohesion through strict
application of the principles of federal character and social justice,
for equitable distribution of wealth and opportunities.
We initiated series of amendments to the constitution to make it more
responsive to the wishes and aspirations of the people; reformed the
electoral system to allow for greater political participation, granted
operational independence to INEC, enacted the Freedom of Information
law, while upholding the sanctity of the rule of law in all sectors of
the polity.
To reposition the economy for greater productivity, successive PDP
administrations applied an economic policy, which enhanced a dynamic
economy, in which market forces are combined with the forces of
partnership, solidarity and cooperation to boost private sector
participation and emergence of an empowered middle class system in the
country.
“As you are aware, the hallmark of the PDP administration was anchored
on the policy of transfer of wealth from the public sector to
hardworking and enterprising Nigerians. This resulted in the rapid
expansion of the nation’s economic frontiers with an unprecedented
growth in small and medium scale enterprises, which helped in providing
employment for millions of our citizens across the country.
It is incontrovertible that within the 16 years of successive PDP
administrations, more businesses opened in the country in all sectors of
the economy; in telecommunication (with one the world fastest GSM and
internet penetrations), transport, aviation, hospitality, education,
agriculture, the media, automobile, real estate, oil and gas, food
processing, among others, than in any other period in the nation’s
history.
“In the same vein, hitherto weak banking sector was repositioned and
strengthened, thereby providing support for businesses and restoring
investors’ confidence in our system. By 2015, the PDP has grown our
nation’s economy to the largest in Africa and one of the fastest growing
in the world.
Under the PDP administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, our nation
witnessed the successful unbundling of the power sector with massive
investments, resulting in the construction and rehabilitation of various
power projects. This is in addition to investments in oil and gas sector
including the Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of our oil refineries, which
dividends, the nation is now enjoying.
In the works, transport and aviation sectors, yearly investments by PDP
administrations resulted in the revitalization of the railways, inland
water ways, remodeling and reequipping of our aviation system to
international standard, rehabilitation and construction of thousands of
kilometers of roads and bridges across our country.
Similar yearly investments by successive PDP administrations changed the
face of agriculture in our country from a development Programme to a
business for national wealth creation, focusing on the private sector.
By 2014 our national food production had expanded by an additional 21
million metric tons, a record, exceeding the national set target of 20
million metric tons for 2015.
In education and health, meticulous execution of deliberate policies
resulted in significant achievements. While healthcare become more
affordable and accessible, series interventionist initiatives in life
threatening diseases such as malaria, fibroid, HIV and AIDS, VVF,
Hepatitis, Sickle Cell Anemia, cardiac related ailments, polio which was
successfully eradicated in 2014, among others, culminating in an
unprecedented 50%
drop in maternal mortality and increase in national
life expectancy by 2015.
In education, while all levels of learning received adequate attention,
the National Open University of Nigeria was established to boost
opportunity for tertiary learning. By the end of first quarter of 2015,
14 new universities were established by the immediate past PDP
administration to ensure that all states in the federation has a federal
university, in addition to the establishment of the Almajiri system of
education in the northern parts to ensure that no Nigerian child is
denied access to education.
As you are aware, one of the major challenges we faced was security.
Despite the daunting challenges, successive PDP administrations ensured
a well-equipped military, police and para-military agencies to tackle
external and internal aggressions and ensure safety of lives and
property.
The record ending of the Niger Delta militancy by the Late Umaru
Yar’Adua-led PDP administration, using the Amnesty Initiative, the
containing of kidnapping menace in the south east, the drastic reduction
in cases of highway criminality, using a combination of combat system
and regulations on electronic money transfer, and the vigourous
confrontation of the fight against insurgency in the North east, all
give credence to the efforts of the PDP.
Also, the passing into law of “The Prevention of Terrorism Act 2011”
which provides for prevention, prohibition and combating of acts of
terrorism, the reequipping of the armed forces with officers and men
undergoing retraining to enhance operations and professionalism; the
streamlining of security agencies for better cohesion of their roles,
including improved intelligence gathering and sharing, which are now
being deployed in the services are all to the credit of the PDP.
Gentlemen of the press, despite our temporary electoral setback in the
last election, the PDP is a success story. Unarguably, the PDP is still
the only pan-Nigeria party, wholly committed to the Nigerian project,
accommodating all national interest and whose only agenda remains the
unity, stability and prosperity of Nigeria and its people.
While we restate our gratitude to the Nigerian electorate who stood by
us in our 16 years in government at the center, and who for obvious
reasons now have greater confidence in us than before, we deeply
celebrate past and present leaders of our party, past and present
members of our National Executive Committee (NEC), past and present
elected government officials at the national and state levels, our
development partners and teeming members nationwide.
As we play our new opposition role, the PDP as a highly responsible
party, will continue to provide a firm but credible opposition,
presenting alternatives to the programmes and policies of the present
government while firmly standing on the side of the citizens in opposing
acts and policies that are inimical to the health of the nation and the
happiness of the people.
We therefore call on all well-meaning Nigerians to continue to support
the PDP as it relentlessly pursue and defend those values and tenets
that ensure our unity, stability and prosperity as one people under God.
Long Live The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)!
Long Live The Federal Republic of Nigeria!
Signed:
Chief Olisa Metuh
National Publicity Secretary
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