#ADDRESS BY THE INTERIM NATIONAL CHAIRMAN OF ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS – CHIEF BISI AKANDE AT THE MEETING OF LEADERS OF THE PARTY HELD ON WEDNESDAY, 21ST AUGUST, 2013 AT SHERATON HOTEL ABUJA Your Excellency, Former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) Your Excellencies, Governors of APC, (serving & former governors) Members of the National Assembly & former Principal Officers. Former Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Hon Speakers & Deputy Speakers of the House of Assembly. Members of Interim Executive Committee, Distinguished Leaders of our Party, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is with great joy that I welcome each and every one of you to this interactive meeting of Leaders and Elders of our Party, the first of its type since the All Progressives Congress was registered. The purpose of this meeting is basically to sound our people out on the immediate areas of responsibility of the Interim Executive Committee (IEC). The responsibility of the IEC as most of you are aware, is limited to mobilisation of our teaming adherents and supporters for membership registration and conduct of congresses that will lead to producing leadership of substance that will be able to lead the party into 2015 general elections. Today’s occasion therefore is to commence that process of sensitising our members and millions of supporters all over the country on who we are and what we stand for, as a party that represents and champions the aspirations of most Nigerian citizens. It is common knowledge that our country has for many years now been confronted by fundamental, daunting and multi-dimensional challenges. This is clearly indicated by the recurring crises that bedevil its social fabric, political processes, structure of governance, and indeed, its economic and developmental processes. The result is that the nation and its citizenry continue to exist in a state of near permanent trauma. In its over 50 years of Independence, Nigeria has suffered seven military coups resulting in 28 years of military rule, the tragedy of a civil war, twelve constitutions, and a little over 20 years of civil democratic rule. Added to these are countless incidents of religious, ethnic, political and civil unrests leading to the loss of millions of innocent lives. Trapped in a vicious cycle of political crises, social upheavals and economic under-development, Nigeria has become, not only one of the most unstable countries in the world, it is also, regrettably, one of the poorest despite its huge human and material resource endowments. Confronting these issues in a single minded manner is the raison de’tre for the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The philosophy underpinning the coming into being of the APC therefore is the determination to bring the country back from the brink of collapse, despair, and possible disintegration; reposition it decisively on the route to emerging into a modern stable democratic nation, with a productive economy that is based on equity and justice for all citizens. This would be attained through the harnessing of the abundant energies, enterprise and intellect of all Nigerians. We believe that at the core of the paralysing challenges confronting Nigeria today is the failure of governance which is manifested in the continuing inability of the Nigerian State to meet the basic requirements and aspirations of the nation and of it’s citizenry. The task before our Party therefore is clearly cut out, that is, to create a partnership with the people to decisively change both tone and substance of governance in the country. The Nigerian State must not only be strengthened but reconstituted to become the veritable tool of resolving and managing the fundamental challenges confronting the nation. Such challenges can be broadly categorized as follows: The challenge of National Unity and Integration; Perennial threats to Security, Law and Order; Ensuring rapid economic growth with equity (People Centered Economic Management); Protecting and consolidating Nigeria’s emerging democratic tradition; Prioritizing Human Development in Health, in Education - particularly intensification of mass women education, and Employment opportunities for all our youths; Instituting a sustainable management of the environment; and that Nigeria assumes its proper place in World Affairs commensurate with its size and status as the leading black nation in the world; To APC therefore, the objective of governance is the single-minded and unrelenting efforts to confront these challenges and the eventual materialization of: A united, peaceful and democratic nation, with a productive and constantly growing economy; which provides significant opportunities for all its citizens. A large part of the APC’s agenda in particular will centre on the Nigerian Youth. It is common knowledge that Nigeria’s current population is now constituted in such a manner that if not carefully handled would, pose the biggest challenge that this country has confronted. According to many reliable reports, nearly two thirds of the over 160 million citizens of Nigeria are youth, meaning; people below the age of 35 years. Unfortunately, the process of governance in Nigeria, for all practical purposes, remains impervious to the aspirations of this category of Nigerians. Consequently, no priority is assigned to education, job creation, entrepreneurship skills, and vocational training that would have turned our youth into truly productive citizens. We in the APC see engagement with the youth on the above as a strategic imperative. Closely related to the issue of youth disempowerment is that of gender in-balance in governance and in the development processes in general. The female members of our society constitute about half our country’s population. Yet women issues have been largely consigned to the back burners of governance. For the APC, the specific aspirations of women constitute a major ideological platform. Our party would not resort to the usual tokenism and sloganeering where the issue of women aspirations are concerned, but through this ideological platform transform itself into a party of true gender balance. In conclusion, let me express profound appreciation of the Party to all Party Leaders, APC Governors and other key stakeholders including especially members of the Merger Committee who worked tirelessly to get us to where we are today. Needless to state that the actual hard work of creating a party that will represent and minister to the aspirations of all Nigerians is just commencing. I however, remain confident that with the support and commitment of all of you, our success is assured.
Posted on: Wed, 21 Aug 2013 20:56:52 +0000
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