September 30, 2021
Press Conference
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reviewed the 61 years of our nationhood and surmised that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration has gone down in history as the worst in the annals of our national life.
The PDP holds that the push by this administration to sink our nation to the precipices is evident in our daily lives; the lies, injustices, violations, state-backed violence, impunity, nepotism, treasury looting, harsh economic policies and accommodation of terrorism, but our nation has continued to survive by the resilient spirit of Nigerians.
Our party however asserts that though the APC and its government have been pushing the nation to the brinks, Nigeria, as a nation, will never fail.
It is painful that all the gains made by our nation since independence in 1960 and especially during the 16 years of the PDP in office, including the entrenchment of national unity and cohesiveness, freedom and personal liberty of citizens, rule of law, credible elections, justice, equity, fairness and economic progress; the very elements of an independent state, have all been reversed by the APC and the Buhari Presidency.
The Buhari Presidency and the APC have on all fronts taken our nation back to the pre-independence days with associated bondage mentality and frustration resulting in many losing faith in the system and leaving our country in droves within the last six years.
Is it not an irony that our nation is celebrating independence in the face of subverted elections, brazen crackdown on the opposition and dissenting voices as well as other suppressive acts including the muzzling of free speech as witnessed in the ban on Twitter in Nigeria?
Is it not also an irony that as we celebrate independence, thousands of our compatriots are falling victims to extra-judicial killings, arbitrary arrests and illegal detention in dehumanizing cells; which underscore the horrible situation under President Buhari and the APC, as even profiled by reputable international organizations including Amnesty International (AI) and US Department of State?
How can we celebrate when the APC government has no answers to the murdering of our youths by security operatives as witnessed in the EndSARS protest killings of 2020 and, where those who demand for accountability in governance are being hounded, harassed and framed?
Is it not painful that under President Buhari, our nation has been opened up to terrorists, bandits and kidnappers, who are wantonly killing our citizens while their known apologists are enjoying official cover with one of them even holding office as cabinet minister?
The PDP holds as unpardonable that President Buhari has failed to secure our nation. In spite of the genuine suggestions by patriotic Nigerians including the PDP, his administration has remained lethargic and assuming a helpless situation.
Nevertheless, our party celebrates our gallant troops who are making huge sacrifices to defend our nation, despite the daunting challenges they face.
On the economy front, how can we celebrate when President Buhari and the APC have in a space of six years, wrecked our once robust economy and turned Nigeria into the poverty capital of the world, where over 82.9 million Nigerians can no longer afford their daily meals.
How can we celebrate when the APC has plunged our nation into economic slavery with over N33.1 trillion accumulated debt, a 33 percent unemployment rate, collapse of productive sectors and a weakened naira from the N167 to a dollar handed over to President Buhari in 2015 to a dismal N576 to a dollar today?
Instead of ending its corruption and seeking ways to revamp the economy, the Buhari administration is busy doctoring the books with false indices that have no bearing of any sort to the harsh reality on the ground.
Indeed, this is not the way to go. The incontrovertible truth is that there is no hope in sight under the APC and that is why there are no drums on the streets to celebrate Nigeria at 61.
If anything, Nigerians are using the occasion of the 61st independence anniversary to further strengthen their resolve to take back their country from the stranglehold of the APC, come 2023.
The PDP appreciates the confidence reposed on our party by Nigerians to lead the charge to rescue our nation in 2023. Our party acknowledges the flurry of goodwill and solidarity messages coming from Nigerians across board as further demonstrated in the massive interest by citizens in our ongoing registration exercise.
The PDP congratulates Nigerians on the nation’s 61st independence anniversary and urges them to use this year’s occasion to further consolidate on our unity and resilience for the task ahead.
Signed:
Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary
GOV AKEREDOLU REITERATES COMMITMENT TO DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR REVENUE GENERATION
Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, on Tuesday reiterated his administration’s commitment to developing tourism as a viable means of revenue generation.
The Governor spoke at the Governor’s office premises where he received cultural troop from the La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort from Lekki, Lagos State, led by the president of the beach resort, Otunba Wanle Akinboboye.
Governor Akeredolu, who commended the creativity behind the different costumes adorned by the troop, said efforts are in place to make Ondo a tourist state.
“What marvels one, is the exciting costumes of your troupes. Nothing is wasted because all wastes have been turned into spectacular costumes. One is sprite, one is water plastic cans, the other one is sponge.
“So wonderful costumes.Moundela has been a good trainer. Seriously speaking, seeing all of you, I will ask for clips of the making of these beautiful costumes.
“What this is all about is our determination to make Ondo State a tourist state. We have been on this for a while and I will agree with Otunba if he says we are taking too long.
“I am going to decide because things must move. We have discussed to have Ile ori Igi where people will take pepper soup. We will use the present Omi Eja spot because we have trees there. We are not going to cut the trees. It will be where people can sleep and enjoy.
“We are determined to make sure that the Araromi beach will be Lamcagne Tropicana in a more magnificent form. So, those are the issues. As you know, he started Maare in Idanre and it is because he is committed to this state. I can assure you, we are ready to move in leaps and bounds.
“I know Idanre Chairman is here, he might have spoken to you about Idanre Hills. I don’t see anything wrong about it. We have a big and impressive Golf Course, though it may have been overtaken by bush. Undoubtedly, what matters to us now is tourism, and we have a lot of us who have now shown interest,” the Governor said.
LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNOR
PRESS RELEASE
NIGERIA @ 61: SUMMON COURAGE, POLITICAL WILL TO FACE OUR PROBLEMS HEAD-ON – SANWO-OLU URGES NIGERIANS
…Says we cannot continue to retreat into tempting ghettoes of sectionalism, ethnic, religious bigotry
…My administration committed to continuity of good governance – Governor
As Nigeria celebrates her 61st Independence anniversary, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has advised Nigerians to summon the courage, energy and political will to face problems confronting the country head-on and address them squarely.
The Governor said many of the present challenges the country is grappling with including secessionist calls, among others are products of complex and complicated past, noting that Nigeria’s political, leadership tussle and trajectory are by no means unique and therefore urged secessionists to retreat.
Speaking at the 83rd anniversary of Ikoyi Club 1938, on Wednesday while presenting a paper titled “Present, Past and Future”, held at the club’s Secretariat in Ikoyi, Lagos, Governor Sanwo-Olu said critical stakeholders must learn from the experience of other countries to guide the present and create a future that is even better than what Nigerians envisaged.
The event was clearly an opportunity for Governor Sanwo-Olu to ventilate his thoughts about Nigeria at 61.
While reflecting on the political, socio-economic and political trajectories of the country, the Governor concluded that religious and ethnic jingoism should be completely removed from our lexical items in the country.
“In a few days, Nigeria will celebrate her 61st anniversary as an independent country. It will be another opportunity to reflect on our past, our present and our future. A complex and complicated past, like many other countries; a challenging present, again like many others and a future that we all look forward to with hope and optimism.
“Most countries of the world face deep-seated questions about ethnic, racial and religious diversity, and that Nigeria’s seemingly intractable past and present challenges are not unique to us. What is important is that we must constantly summon the energy and political will to face our problems head-on and address them squarely. We cannot continue to throw our hands up in despair or retreat into the tempting ghettoes of sectionalism and ethnic and religious bigotry.
“We must learn from the past of others to guide our present and create a future that is even better than what we envisaged. That is yet another important link between past, present and future; the ability to assess deeply, learn, and adapt in light of that learning,” he said.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said his administration is committed to continuity of good governance, saying it will build on the past and adhere to a robust vision passed down over the years that will serve the people of Lagos and change their lives for the better.
He said building on the legacies of the past for the present and future is very vital, noting that the artistic greats of yesteryears have helped set standards that continue to inspire the present and will no doubt inspire the future.
He said: “For governance to be transformational, it must start by acknowledging and respecting what has gone before, otherwise it will be doomed to keep going round in circles, wasting effort and achieving little. Therefore, we have stayed consistent to a vision that we inherited from previous administrations.
“For us in Lagos State, continuity is key; building on the past, adhering to a robust vision passed down over the years that will serve the people and change their lives for the better. We will forever be committed to making a link between past, present and future, for the betterment of the people of Lagos.
“For example, the first two lines of a city-wide metro-rail network, first envisioned decades ago, are now being completed. Our THEMES governing agenda recognises what has been accomplished before us and highlights how we can build on that as quickly as possible to show visible and verifiable results to the people of Lagos, in the shortest possible time. To frame it another way, we are pouring the concrete of today onto the foundations of yesterday to create the future that we deserve,” he said.
Governor Sanwo-Olu stressed further that “Without the past, there would be nothing to build on. When we are done with our own service, we will hand over the baton to the next set of leaders, to continue from where we stopped.
“And that is how the software of human civilization advances, one ‘update’ at a time. Whether it is at the level of Ikoyi Club, or Lagos State, or Nigeria, or the entire planet, the imperative to build on and improve on the past is one that cannot be wished away or ignored. Standing on the shoulders of giants in the hope that someday future generations will stand atop our own shoulders, extending the productive value chain of time, the cycle of past, present and future, into perpetuity.”
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of Ikoyi Club 1983, Mr. Adewale Mumuney, said the club remains incontrovertibly the prime choice among many seekers of a recreation and sporting centre for multi-racial harmony, outstanding facilities, serene ambiance and governance system that works peacefully and effectively.
He commended Governor Sanwo-Olu for his immense support of the club’s IPP project and for enabling the Club to be a COVID-19 vaccination centre for members and staff, among others.
SIGNED
GBOYEGA AKOSILE
CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY
SEPTEMBER 30, 2021
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