The Nation Newspaper

Tag: PGF

  • ‘For every Goliath, there’s a stone’

    ‘For every Goliath, there’s a stone’

    Ahead of Saturday’s presidential election, All Progressives Congress (APC) governors met on Monday under the auspices of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) to fine-tune strategies. At the session, Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola highlighted the failures of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration and why Nigerians should send the ruling party parking. Below is the text of the address he delivered at the Banquet Hall, Imo State Government House, Owerri.

    I WANT to thank all of you for taking time off your very busy schedules to be part of this session; especially a few days to the elections, which by all accounts could be historic and critical for the soul of our dear country.

    Election is a referendum on the performance of the incumbent government and a decision whether to keep it in office or vote it out of office.

    As progressive governors who are committed to good governance, this year’s First Quarter Progressive Governance Session is designed to present our assessment of governance challenges in Nigeria today as well as our proposals on what needs to be done to move our country forward, post- May 29.

    The parameters of the referendum are defined by issues of national security, economic management, social issues and the like. So, I will start by reviewing briefly the record of the current government and share with you what they say they have done.

     

    Economy

     

    Let me start with the economy, and share with you a text message that I received from a Nigerian film maker in Nollywood on March 14.

    This is what he said:-

    “I will like to bring to your attention that there is a reliable information that our film has been pirated to be released in Alaba on Monday. I also want to confirm to you that the criminals committing this act are known and can be handpicked. There was a meeting with NCC (Nigerian Copyright Commission) last week where to our surprise they invited the so-called pirates for negotiations and discussion on the previous works that they pirated. I am devastated sir and not sure what to do. I am not sure what you can do in your capacity as the executive governor of the State but I believe your approach to resolving issues in Ladipo could bring a lasting solution. This new development will not only bring a big setback to my business and the industry at large but will discourage a dedicated filmmaker like myself from going all the way in the name of being a Nigeria. Please do something sir”.

    It must be clear to everyone that the greatest problem that people in the entertainment industry have is that their intellectual property rights are not being protected.

    This is a law enforcement issue, rather than a cash solution that the PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) and its government has continued to proffer. It is simple copyright law enforcement and the PDP simply does not get it.

     

    Road

     

    As far as roads are concerned, and they are critical to the economic development and prosperity of our people for the movement of people, goods and services, the record of performance offered by the Federal Government is that they have constructed 25,000 kilometers of road.

    How true that is, is to be measured by the complaints of PDP governors themselves, who say federal  roads in their states have been neglected.

    How bogus this is, is the realisation that the distance between Lagos and London is approximately 5, 025 kilometers. Has the PDP-led Federal Government constructed roads that go the distance of Lagos to London five times? Is it possible to do this by a government that has never had a capital budget of up to 40 per cent in  six years?

    Housing

    As far as housing is concerned, please note that after being unable to account for $20 billion which is the equivalent of N3.3 trillion at N165/$1.00 at the time the money was unaccounted for; after losing 400,000  barrels of oil per day for years, when oil was trading at $100 per barrel, meaning that we were losing $40,000,000.00, the equivalent of N6.6 billion.

    Our country’s solution according to the PDP is to borrow $300 million from the World Bank in order to provide mortgage refinancing for all Nigerians. What this means, is that every Nigerian must first buy a house with a mortgage loan, and then apply for his share of the $300  million as a refinancing facility. That is the PDP model for housing.

    I know that in Ogun State, there is a better model that places emphasis on housing construction in order to create jobs. I can speak better about my state, where we are building public housing and allocating it to residents at a mortgage rate of 9.5 per cent payable over 10 years. I know that construction is going on in no less than 25 sites, and we have not borrowed one kobo to fund this initiative. It has been funded by tax payers’ money.

     

    Jobs

     

    As far as employment is concerned, again their own service record is the place to look. They say that they have created two million jobs. On a straight line analysis, this would suggest at least over 50,000 jobs in each of the 36 states and Abuja.

    Simply ask yourself, how many people do you know, who got those jobs. Were they part of the jobs in which people died while stampeding for employment in theNigerian Immigration Service (NIS). Why is unemployment at 24 per cent if this economy is working? What I know is that from only four construction companies, over 5,000 workers have been laid off in the first quarter of the year and in the last two weeks, at least 2,400 bank staff have been laid off.

     

     

    Security

     

     

    It is easy to summarise the security situation. Thousands killed violently; hundreds kidnapped routinely; 219 girls missing; citizens and even the Federal Government relying on alternative security, like ethnic militia to secure oil pipelines.

    While all these happens, year on year, amounts close to N1 trillion have been budgeted and expended on defence and security; yet there are unanswered questions of availability of equipment, while a new set of billionaires masquerading as security experts have emerged.

    The answer of the PDP-Federal Government and Mr. President himself is that Gen Muhammadu Buhari, who left office in 1985 did not equip the security forces. Clearly the PDP forget that Nigerians remember that they have been in office for 16 years, and President Goodluck Jonathan has to account for six of those years.

    They have killed Skekau (Abubakar), the supposed leader of the terrorist group (Boko Haram) at least four times. During one of those killings for which they claim success, they signed a ceasefire with him; from which he quickly played his part by attacking more Nigerians. After the fourth killing, there are now instructions to capture him.

     

    Lies

     

    Ladies and gentlemen, there are two common denominators in the record of service of the PDP-Federal Government. The first is “failure” and the second is “lies”. They have failed in their management of the economy and they have been untruthful about how bad the economy is.

    These numbers are important. They dimension the real difficulty Nigerians are dealing with. I expected that when the PDP governors gathered in Lagos, on their poorly conceived mis-adventure, they would have spoken about these issues.

    Instead, they were seeking to stop the use of Smart Card Readers (SCRs) which their government approved.

    They forgot that they were the ones who approved the use of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs). They forgot that they postponed the elections because they said enough PVCs had not been issued.

    Now that PVCs have been issued, should we not verify and authenticate eligible voters with the SCRs? We recognise the issues in the Nigerian state; we keep a track on them and we have made them the issues in the election as you will have heard from our presidential candidate and his running mate (Gen. Buhari and Prof Yemi Osinbajo).

    No amount of ‘Goodluck’ can help the PDP escape from these issues. Our candidates have kept the Nigerian electorate focused on the issues of jobs, security, and corruption.

    Our opponents urge that they are moving forward. The question to ask is what their definition of forward is.

    Moving the rate of exchange of the naira to the dollar from N120 to $1.00 to N198 to $1.00 is not the way forward. Managing an economy where employers cannot keep people at work because of bad government policies is not the way forward.

    Unemployment is not the way forward. Employment is the way. Inventory of imported raw materials trapped in the port is not the way forward to economic recovery. Fuel queues arising from government failure to pay importers is not the way forward.

    Blaming the opposition for fuel shortage is not the way forward. The largest economy in Africa that cannot generate electricity is not the way forward. The avoidable loss of human lives, and the unresolved disappearance of 219  young girls is not the way forward. It is the opposite of development. It is the opposite of industrialisation. It is the opposite of job creation.  It is the way backwards. It is not the way to continue.

    Ladies and gentlemen, like Vision 2020; like the Seven-Point Agenda; like the comparisons to Martin Luther Kings, Lee Kwan Yew, Nelson Mandela, Barrack Obama, and the Transformation Agenda, all of which have been abandoned because they are not true, it is obvious that our opponents in government, have lost their way.

    They are reading the developmental map of Nigeria upside down. So, they do not know the way forward. The Nigeria ship of state is heading in the wrong direction because the captain cannot navigate. This is the most important reason the PDP and the President must be voted out of power.

    In 2011, President Jonathan made a total of 91 electoral promises around power, security and the economy. Majority of them remain unfulfilled. Between then and now, he set up a total of 28 committees as his government’s response to critical national issues such as the Nuhu Ribadu Fuel Subsidy Scandal Committee; Steve Oronsaye Harmonisation of Government Agencies and Department Committee; Justice Alfa Belgore Committee on Abuja Parks and Zoo, Edem Duke’s Committee on Proliferation of Small Arms; Ibrahim Sambo Presidential Fact-finding Committee and PriceWaterHouseCoopers Forensic Audit of the Missing Oil Receipts in the region of $20 billion.

    The President has either forgotten or refused to either make public the reports of these committees, or implement them. The President resumed work only six weeks ago, because of elections. Nigeria needs a full-time president not a part-time one.

    Gen Muhammad Buhari will be a full-time President, ready to work every day. A full-time president will re-set and re-direct this nation and set her back on the right path. That is the way forward.

    The second major reason is that after 16 years of start and stop, policy changes and no verifiable results, this country will benefit from a fresh pair of hands, that will have another look at the problems that have defeated the PDP for 16.

    We simply cannot continue on this road that has failed us, and expect different results. A vote for change is the first step in the expectation of different and better results.

    Instead of running on their record of service, the party in power has chosen to become film makers, making one poorly scripted documentary after the other.

    The tragedy is that after one year of television propaganda, dating back to March 2014, their bird has refused to fly. There is nothing to sell. The good governance road show died on arrival. And the captain was initially honest in Lagos to admit failure.

    The PDP-led Federal Government has no credible record to defend, nor a roadmap to rectify the damage they have done to our body politic, our economy and all our institutions.

    It is perfectly understandable that when you have an indefensible record like theirs, you resort to despicable diversionary campaign, the like we have not seen before.

    We have demonstrated and must continue to demonstrate that there is a gulf of difference between the APC and the PDP, not only in our visions (if they have any) and in our policies, but that we are willing to engage with them in a transparent and accountable manner.

    Our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has presented a year 2015 election manifesto, while the only known manifesto of the PDP is dated 1999. We are committed to reinventing governance in Nigeria in order to solve our socio-economic and political challenges.

    We were far-sighted when we established the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), where these kinds of questions and issues have constantly been interrogated through effective research, knowledge sharing, consultations and policies, at our quarterly fora.

    So, when the APC talks of change, what kind of change are we talking about? How do we plan to redefine the concepts of leadership and responsibility?

    The objective here is to demystify governance and restore ownership of the country to the sovereign- the citizens! It means that we must be accountable to the sovereign for our performance and how responsive we are to their wishes and demands. It means that the citizens will always retain the right to “hire and fire”.  It means that we must embed the rule of law, political and civil liberties in our political culture. The culture of unbridled impunity must come to a grinding halt!

    APC does not believe that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) should be reduced to a bazaar which merely awards contracts to leaders of ethnic militia, posing as socio–cultural groups, to the detriment of constitutionally established institutions and in subversion of the procurement laws.Were these contracts advertised? Where was due process here?

    We are certain that this session will, in many ways, give more clarity and further insight into the kind of change APC represents.

    The other presentations will amplify many of the issues I have addressed so far. While not underestimating the enormity of the challenges that will face an APC-led Federal Government.

    The APC is proud to have as its flag bearer, a patriot with the public stature and integrity of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, who has unreservedly committed to this vision and mission as reflected in his ‘Covenant with Nigerians’ and campaigns promises.

    It is not by accident that teeming millions of Nigerians are showing their support effusively for Gen. Buhari.

    What I have confirmed since the emergence of Gen. Buhari as our presidential candidate, is that Nigerians still believe in the virtues of probity, selfless leadership and commitment to the greater good inspite of the 16 years of failed PDP government and leadership that they have been unfortunately saddled with.

    For many years, I have heard complaints about PDP’s dismal management of our national life. Many Nigerians have expressed understandable frustration that PDP could not be defeated because there was no formidable opposition. Our leaders have heard these frustrations. They have organised rather than agonise.

    They have sacrificed their smaller parties and leadership roles to deliver the first-ever political merger in the history of Nigeria.

    They will all vote for the APC, but they cannot elect the APC into government. That is the duty of the Nigerian electorate if we must experience change, and save our country.

    With the emergence of the APC, PDP began to unravel. With the mismanagement of its top leadership it began to dismember, losing its most vital parts; and making history for all the wrong reasons.

    It is the first political party that I know that lost five governors to the opposition without an election. It later lost the Speaker of the Parliament, and eventually its former leader and Chairman Board of Trustees (BOT). The giant is tattering and about to fall. For every Goliath, there is a stone.

    The APC is PDP’s stone and the people of Nigeria must rise like David to bring this plundering goliath down.

    The merger was historic. But it will be more historic if Nigerians elect that merger to office. The people of Nigeria will have taken power by doing so.

    Let me underscore once more that while the APC is ready, willing and able to take on the huge tasks of regenerating our country once more, APC is humbled by the enormity of the challenges it has to deal with in the next few years.

    Once more, let me re-affirm the commitment of the PGF to continue to provide the platform where our party, governors and other stakeholders will continually engage, reflect on critical issues and challenges, and more importantly, proffer implementable policy options to address these challenges – indeed more than a talkshop!

    It is now my privilege to invite you to listen to the presentation of our leader, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and the other panel presentations on ”Sustaining Development in Times of Dwindling Resources”, to be followed by an interactive session among the participants.

    God bless us all as we work to protect our democracy.

    .Babatunde Raji Fashola, the Governor of Lagos State,  is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

  • APC governors urge Fed Govt to convene emergency meeting

    APC governors urge Fed Govt to convene emergency meeting

    Governors under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), also called Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), urged the Federal Government yesterday to convene an emergency meeting of the National Council of State to discuss the recurrent killings of Nigerians.

    In a statement titled: Abuja Blasts: Enough of the Killings, the forum chairman and Imo State Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha advised that the government put in place a new strategy to protect the lives and property of Nigerians from attacks.

    He said: “The Progressive Governors’ Forum hereby calls on the Federal Government to immediately convene an emergency meeting of the National Council of State to discuss the recurrent killings of Nigerians and to put in place new strategy to protect lives and property …from such barbaric attacks.”

    Okorocha said the forum was not making a political but a patriotic statement to save the nation from incessant killings of innocent people.

    The governor stressed that it was glaring the government had run out of ideas in the fight against insurgency, ethnic and communal clashes as well as armed robbery and kidnappings across Nigeria.

    He added: “It appears that the Federal Government and security agencies need some new initiatives to boost their capacity to carry out the fundamental goal of government, which is the security of lifes and property of citizens.”

    The statement reads: “The Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) hereby condemns the explosions in Nyanya, Abuja, and extends its sincere and heartfelt condolences to the families of commuters and all those who died or were injured in the carnage.

    “It is regrettable that the deaths of innocent Nigerians have become a daily occurrence with little respite. In the last two weeks alone, about 1,000 Nigerians have perished.

    “We also wish to commiserate with the parents and families of the candidates who were killed over the weekend while trying to sit for the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) in Maiduguri, Borno State. The tragic deaths indicate major failure of government.

    “As if failing to tackle the Boko Haram insurgency is not bad enough, the security situation has deteriorated to a level where so-called gunmen are now on the rampage across Nigeria, killing and maiming at will with no response from our poorly equipped and ill-informed security operatives. Is it too much for the government to, at the very least, identify the perpetuators of these terrible crimes?”

  • APC governors call for national budget timetable

    APC governors call for national budget timetable

    Following the recurrent poor implementation of the Federal Government budget, the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) who are also the All Progressives Governors Forum (PGF ) yesterday called for the creation of a national Budget Timetable to ensure that the budgeting process is not subject to the whims and caprices of the Federal Government.

    The communique issued at the conclusion of a one day Roundtable of Progressive Governors, Legislators and Civil Society Organisations, at Abuja, which contained the recommendation, also suggested that structures and institutions at all levels must be strengthened to ensure accountability in budgeting.

    The theme of the Roundtable was : “Improving Governance through Transparent Budgeting, Accountability and Effective Public Financial Management.”

    The budgeting process must be designed based on sector plans, not mere statements of intended expenditure or mere line budgeting to be executed at the whims of the civil service.

    According to the governors who are optimistic of assuming power at the center by next year, “APC governed States must lead by example and promote citizen participation in the budgeting process.”

    The forum also recommended that there must be provision for a closing figure for the previous year before any new budget is presented.

    The National Assembly’s oversight function must be reinvigorated to ensure strict compliance with budgetary provisions, the governors insisted.

    PGF also maintained that “extra-budgetary expenditure which is an impeachable offense must be reined-in and punished where applicable.”

    Calling for an end to the present budgetary system, the governors said that envelope system, which guarantees payment amounts to certain lines charges regardless of needs must be discarded.

    The communique added that : “There is need for more vigorous public hearings in relation to budgets and public expenditure processes;

    “There is urgent need to set up a National Assembly Budget Office similar to the Congressional Budget Office in the USA

    “Progressive Governors should put in place structures and programmes to fight corruption and poverty which undermine transparency, security, participation and fundamental freedom;

    “Legislators and Civil Society Organisations must work together to promote public awareness and ensure that the public is able to demand for accountability for all public funds budgeted and spent;

    “Need for the public to view public funds as their own and respond to the way they are spent.”

    Those that were present at the event were one of the party’s National Leader Rtd. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, Chairman PGF, Rochas Okorocha, Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, Senate Deputy Minority Leader Senator Abu Ibrahim, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Senator, House Minority Leader Hon. Femi Gbajiabiamila, Niger Delta Activist Comrade Timi Frank and others.

  • Progressive governors to tackle unemployment

    Progressive governors to tackle unemployment

    The commissioners in charge of Budget and Planning in the 16 states governed by the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), have moved towards formulating policies, which would tackle unemployment.

    The commissioners, who converged on Abeokuta, Ogun State, for the PGF’s Policy Design Session on Unemployment, identified lack of accurate data and viable plans, among others, as causes of rising rate of unemployment and agreed on the need to deal with the scourge.

    Speaking on the causes identified by the participants, the Director-General of PGF, Dr. Saliu Lukman, said unemployment is the number one problem, which must be tackled.

    He reiterated the commitment of the progressive governors to find a solution to the problem and said the technical session of the meeting would look at the issues and how they manifest, with a view to generating recommendations.

    Lukman said: “Beyond the theories, which the session seeks to look at, we will go down to the states to get the people’s view and balance this with the theories, to form proposals to be presented to the governors. When they are adopted, they become policies for the 16 states controlled by the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

    Delivering the Governance Lecture, the Chief Executive Officer, Economic Associates, Dr. Ayo Teriba, said governments must do all within their powers to ameliorate the situation, adding that “neglecting this fact will render other policies unworkable.”

    He frowned at the non-availability of accurate data outside which he said no meaningful planning could be achieved. “In the absence of an accurate unemployment figure by the government at the centre, any project by organs is speculative. Therefore, we must strive to ensure availability of accurate data to help the states proffer workable policies,” Teriba added.

     

     

  • APC governors: Why we are different from PDP

    APC governors: Why we are different from PDP

    •Accuse Jonathan of embarking on ‘church tourism’ over 2015 elections

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) governors yesterday said the party is different from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because it is people-centred.

    The party also described President Goodluck Jonathan’s visit to churches ahead of the 2015 elections as “church tourism,”.

    The governors spoke at the first Progressive Governance Lecture in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. The lecture has “Unemployment and the Crisis of Governance in Nigeria: the Way Forward” as the theme.

    It was organised by the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF).

    Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi said of the difference between the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP): “Some people now say that both PDP and APC are the same. They say there is no difference. Governor Kwankwanso was in PDP, he is now in APC. Governor Rotimi Amaechi was in PDP, he now is in APC. I urge you to also check what those governors were doing when they were in the PDP.

    “We have never said that all the people in PDP are bad leaders. That has never been our argument. Our argument has been that the influence of the-end-justifies-the-means politicians in the PDP is overwhelming. And that is why they are not making any progress beyond this jobless growth that we are witnessing. When you go there, you can see it. Governor Kwankwanso runs a free education programme now in Kano. Governor Amaechi runs free education in Rivers. Governor Nyako does the same in Adamawa. So, there are many ties that bind us together and we believe that ideologically, we are Siamese twins. And that is why they are here. We also want to enrich what we are doing with the examples they have shown in their states and other states. Of course, you can see the difference in Ibadan. I am not saying this just to humour my brother, the governor of Oyo State. I was born, grew up here and know this city like the back of my hand and I know the progress that it has witnessed in the short period of time that Governor Ajmobi has taken on the reins of power. You know what is going on in Lagos, Ogun, Edo, Osun and Ekiti states.”

    Fayemi and other party leaders, who spoke at the lecture, said the 2015 election would be a contest of ideas, not of physical strength, sentiment or violence.

    On the determination of the party to revitalise Nigerian economy through job creation and other initiatives, Fayemi said: “The reason why we are progressive is that we believe that we owe a duty to our people, that it is not a favour to our people to empower them to become people who have self worth in their own right. And job is not about earning a wage. It is about the dignity that it gives our people. That is why we are making this the first in the series if the PGF lectures. And there is a direct nexus between governance and employment. The disconnections that the lecturer have pointed out, the issues that have been raised are also borne by the evidence before us. The strategic committee of this group headed by Governor Fashola has been receiving results from the polls that we commissioned in the 36 states of the federation. The polls we have been doing make it clear to us that the number one issue for Nigerians across the length and breadth of the country is joblessness. Next is insecurity. But as Governor Kwankwanso has highlighted, there is a connection between joblessness and insecurity. When you look at what we are witnessing in the Northeastern part of the country today, there are those who say it is religious, there also those who want to make us believe it is ethnic. But as a student of security, the most critical factor responsible for crisis in the North is economy. That is what has made it possible for some Nigerians to believe that they have no future than to throw themselves in arms way in the name of creating an alternative republic. That, for us, is what we need to tackle. When we cut off the oxygen that is fueling the crisis in Borno, Adamawa, Yobe and other parts, we clearly must understand the connection between insecurity and poverty.”

    Earlier, welcoming the guests to the state, Oyo State Go ernor, Abiola Ajimobi, reeled out his achievements in the last 1000 days, stressing that his administration has redefined governance. He pointed out that it has also brought back an enabling environment for businesses to thrive

    “The revolution is unprecedented. From the ashes of the second dirtiest city, we have raised the level of cleanliness to make Ibadan one of the neatest. We are attracting investors due to conducive atmosphere.

    Your presence here today adds to our huge intellectual account.”

    Highlighting the danger of unemployment, Ajimobi said it has become urgent for any responsible government to act fast.

    “By taking on this challenge, we are telling the world that when we eventually take over federal governance, we will tackle this and other challenges confronting the country.” He said.

    The Chairman of the occasion and former Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu said irrespective of the position various Nigerians hold about the country or the party, the APC governors and its leaders came together for the progress of Nigerians.

    He said they embraced progressive politics in order to lift citizens out of their frustration, adding that party leaders and members laid down their differences and political idiosyncrasies in the larger interest of the country.

    The guest lecturer, Dr Ayo Teriba, dissected the current state of the economy, particularly unemployment. He disclosed that though Nigeria is among the five fastest growing economies in the world, the country has double digit unemployment rate, which he put at 23 per cent.

    As a way out of the current parlous state, Teriba recommended that government must take data reading more seriously, revamp rail transportation, support economic intelligence and reform policy processes, among others.

    He said: “To make democratic governance a tool for delivering economic tangible and enduring economic benefits in the future, Nigeria needs to make monthly employment data available before the end of each month, fix rail transportation, rethink fiscal policy, refocus monetary policy, and ensure that elected officials accept responsibility for policy formulation and coordination. Appointees can implement but elected officials must adopt modalities for ensuring transparency and accountability in policy mplementation. Examples of successes in using democracies as a tool for economic advancement abound.”

    The Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, said agreements at the lecture would be implemented in APC-controlled states .

    The governors and party leaders visited the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasngba where they addressed crowd of party supporters who came to welcome them to Oyo State.

    They were led by the National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande and National Leader Gen. Mohammadu Buhari. The governors include Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Rabiu Kwankwanso (Kano), Borno State Deputy Governor Alhaji Umaru Mustapha, his Osun State counterpart, Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, Dr Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun) and the Edo State Secretary to the State Government, Prof Julius Ihonvbere.

    Former Ogun State Governor Aremo Olusegun Osoba and former governor of Ekiti State, Chief Niyi Adebayo were also there.

  • APC governors to President: reassess your strategy

    APC governors to President: reassess your strategy

    The Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) yesterday accused President Goodluck Jonathan of not having a security agenda for the country.

    The Forum said the President was fixated on being re-elected in 2015 instead of protecting Nigerians.

    The governors, in a statement through the Director-General of PGF, Mr. Salihu Mohammed Lukman, asked the President to reassess his security strategy.

    The statement said: “The Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) wishes to commiserate with the People and Government of Borno State over the recent attacks on Maiduguri airport, Air Force base and other areas of the state by Boko Haram insurgents and the ensuing loss of lives and property.

    “The security situation in several parts of the country has continued to deteriorate despite the extension of the State of Emergency in some states and the trillions of naira supposedly spent on security.

    “As it were, notwithstanding the fact that nearly one-third of this year’s Federal Government budget was devoted to defence and security, few Nigerians actually feel safe.

    “The most recent attack was particularly telling as it shows that President Goodluck Jonathan has no security agenda and is only focused on retaining power beyond 2015. The result of this criminal negligence is the unabated slaughter of lives. Clearly the security structures set up in the region have been overwhelmed.

    “PGF calls on the president to reassess his security strategy and focus more on the critical issues of the day. Obviously, the strategies and tactics currently adopted by the President and security agencies drafted to the region have been ineffectual, just as they leave much to be desired.

    “While we commiserate with the Government and people of Borno State, we call on the Federal Government to immediately overhaul the tactics and rules of engagement of the security agencies deployed in Borno and other states.

    “The president, who also doubles as the Commander-in-Chief, needs to get a firmer grip as well as ensure coherence in the management of the various tiers of security interventions in the affected states. His obsession with 2015 is a dangerous diversion at a time when real courage and statesmanship are needed.

    “We, on our own part, shall continue to offer support to our colleague, Governor Kashim Shettima and to provide necessary humanitarian assistance in these extremely difficult times.”