APC Solution To Poor Governance – Onu

MADUABUCHI NMERIBEH/Kano

Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, former governor of Abia State, southeast Nigeria, and the Chairman, second Progressive Governance Lecture Series holding in Kano, northwest Nigeria on Monday declared that the only alternative to Nigeria’s socio-political and economic woes is a change of government in 2015.

Onu, while making his speech at African House, Government House, Kano, also boasted that the All Progressives Congress, APC, has all the credentials to produce good governance and make Nigeria a better country in 2015.

For 16 years, he noted, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has been in power, but regretted that Nigeria as a country has stagnated in terms of meaningful development all these years.

“The ruling party has called our party, the party of one person; but it is clear that the APC is the party that belongs to all of us. The APC is open to all Nigerians. The APC is indeed, the only national party.

“APC is the only party that controls, at least, a state in the six geo-political zones of our country. The ruling party cannot claim to have that, if they do, they should tell us the state they are controlling in the South-West.

“APC is the biggest opposition party in the history of our country; and ready to respond to the needs of our people. APC is no longer just a party, but it has become a movement. Whatever we do, we must listen to the cries of our people.

“We must constantly study the mood of the nation.We must move along instead of trying to move against the collective will of our people. We should never think that we have already won an election that is yet to be contested.

“So, over confidence never helps, but rather it hurts. Stability, unity, peace and progress must always guide every single important step that we take. We will achieve our desire when we respect the rules we make by ourselves. Our party’s constitution must remain supreme in the conduct of party affairs,” he stated.

Also speaking, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State insisted that there is a whole lot of difference between the PDP and APC, pointing out that if APC had been in government, billions of naira being siphoned under the nose of PDP-led government would have been used to provide free and qualitative education for Nigerians.

Amaechi who spoke particularly on the crisis in education insisted that corruption is the father of bad leadership in Nigeria, pointing out that if there is no poverty, unemployment and illiteracy, there certainly will be no Boko Haram, insurgency and insecurity.

The lecture themed: ‘Crisis In Nigeria’s Education Sector: Addressing The Connect Between Unemployment and Insecurity’.
In his welcome address, Kano State Governor, Engr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso took time to enumerate the giant strides of his government in the education sector.

Apart from establishing over 24 institutes across the state which has graduated at least 40,000 young men and women, Kwankwaso noted that his government has sponsored hundreds of Kano indigenes to bag masters degree abroad.

He also used the occasion to announce that Kano State Government has declared free education for Kano indigenes from primary to university level, adding that even within the country hundreds of the state’s indigenes have been given scholarship to study in universities like the Bells University and Crescent University, both based in Ogun State.

In his address, Chairman of Progressive Governors Forum, PGF, Owelle Rochas Okorocha frowned at the spate of insecurity in the country and called on politicians irrespective of party affiliation to come together and fight the scourge.

Okorocha also stated that PGF has already donated the sum of N100 million to the families of Nyanya bombings, adding that the progressive governors have also decided to help in rebuilding destroyed schools in Borno State.

Okorocha also spoke about the abduction of over 200 girls at Chibok, Borno State, while insisting that now is the time for all Nigerians to come together and ensure the release of the innocent students.

According to Okorocha, the theme of the lecture was chosen in line with the mandate of the Progressive Governors’ Lecture series to bring to the fore and work towards eradicating certain national problems.

“The problem of unemployment generally has been linked to so many factors around education; ranging from the quality of institutions, quality of instruction givers and the knowledge they pass across to the willingness of the students to learn.

“We are aware now that talks about insecurity are incomplete without tackling its root causes of illiteracy and unemployment. Many may argue about the place of education in wealth creation but the truth remains that understanding comes with proper enlightenment,” he noted.

Dr. Ahmed Illyasu of the Department of Education, Bayero University Kano, BUK, presented a paper entitled ‘Crisis In Nigeria’s Education Sector: Addressing The Connect Between Unemployment and Insecurity’.

Those present at the occasion include former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, former Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nasir el-Rufai, Senator Bukola Saraki, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Senator Aisha Alhasan, Senator George Akume, Senator Mohammed Bingo, Senator Ibrahim Kabiru Gaya, Governors Adam Oshiomhole (Edo), Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Abdulfatai Ahmed (Kwara), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Ibrahim Gaidem (Yobe), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) among other APC big shots.