Nigeria Decides: 2019 and choices before us (II)

Read the first part here SECURITY On Security, many Nigerians may point accusing fingers at the current administration on the resurgence of Boko Haram attacks with casualties among the military personnel. However, President Buhari has sought for, and allocated huge funds from the budget to purchase military equipment so as to reinvigorate the onslaught against […]

Read the first part here

SECURITY

On Security, many Nigerians may point accusing fingers at the current administration on the resurgence of Boko Haram attacks with casualties among the military personnel. However, President Buhari has sought for, and allocated huge funds from the budget to purchase military equipment so as to reinvigorate the onslaught against the terrorists.

In this regard, it can at least be argued that funds intended for arms purchase are not being diverted to private pockets. The country has also regained a lot of goodwill and respect in the international community; a situation that has meant arms procurement is no longer through the backdoors. The import of this will assume an even bigger significance if one recalls the botched and desperate attempt by the previous government to purchase arms from South Africa via a plane-load of cash.

Although the Buhari admin has been far from perfect, with insecurity challenges and industrial actions, the federal government moved to address the farmer/herder conflict in the North Central region, and armed banditry in North west through interventions like:

1. Operation Whirl-stroke in Benue and Taraba States
2. Operation Sharan Daji in the North West.
3. Operation Diran Mikiya (An air force quick response unit set up in Gusau Zamfara State which is being complemented by counter terrorism unit and other security forces).
4. An establishment of another air force quick response wing in Nguroje, Mambilla, Taraba State
5. Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Gembu, Mambilla, Taraba State

These security measures are to be complemented by the National Livestock Transformation Plan that was recently launched by the Federal Government.

In the Niger Delta, the Government has been in constant dialogue with stakeholders, community leaders and the militants for a lasting solution. Leveraging on its plans and programs in the Niger-Delta, the APC led Government has managed to maintain peace in the region. To this end, we have been witnessing sustained peace for the longest period in many years.

In the foreign policy realm, Nigeria under President Buhari has recovered considerable goodwill from global partners. These are being witnessed in the instances of the currency swap and infrastructure funding with China; the fertilizer deal with Morocco; the trade deal with Singapore; the bilateral agreements on return of Nigeria’s stolen assets with countries like United Kingdom, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, and treaties which have raised the country’s profile internationally.

Based on the afore-mentioned records of the PDP and the APC in government, the choice for discerning voters as they go to polls are:

1. An APC Government that has spent over 10 billion US Dollars on infrastructure that cut across several sectors in four years or a PDP Government that spent nearly 800 billion dollars with little to show for it.
2. An APC Government that is committed to diversifying our economy or one that abandoned other sectors of the economy for oil.
3. An APC Government that has completed about 600 kilometers of standard gauge rail in three years; with Lagos-Abeokuta being the latest, with less resources available to spend or a PDP Government that had abundance of resources at its disposal but could not put in place a single standard gauge line.
4. A PDP Government that depleted our foreign reserve despite selling oil at an all-time high or an APC Government that is growing the foreign reserve steadily despite earning less.
5. A PDP Government that sold off government assets such as; NITEL, NEPA, Nigeria Airways to their cronies at giveaway prices spearheaded by Atiku Abubakar without compensating staff or an APC Government that is clearing this mess by upsetting the pension arrears and other entitlements of these staff after several years.
6. A PDP Government that spent sixteen billion dollars on power with nothing to show for it under one of their three Presidents alone; an administration where the current PDP candidate was an influential Vice President, or an APC Government that has generated and transmitted the highest megawatts of electricity in less than four years.
7. A PDP Government that allowed our refineries to rot or an APC Government that is working hard to have them function in full capacity whilst making possible for Private individuals to set up theirs. The Modular refineries in the Niger Delta will soon come on board.
8. A PDP Government that had turned the country’s main revenue generating agencies to their cash cows or an APC Government that is ensuring prudent management of resources and accountability at these agencies. The Nigeria Ports Authority, under Ms Hadiza Bala, for example has seen remarkable turnaround in the way and manner the Authority is being run; It was one of the first Government agencies to implement the TSA which complemented the revenue and invoice management system which reduce traffic, blocked leakages and enhanced service delivery. NNPC, Customs and FIRS are other agencies that witnessed real change and have all broken existing records in terms of revenue turn over to the coffers of Government.

Finally, the discerning voters should reflect on whether they would rather weigh on the person they hired to repair their destroyed house (who despite all the initial obstacles has managed to structurally stabilize the house) to do better at refurbishing it or they would rather have the person who destroyed in the first place come back for repairs? It really does appear to be that simple.

Leme wrote this from the Directorate of Contact and Mobilization, APC Presidential Campaign Council.