Text of World Press Conference by the National Publicity
\nSecretary of The Peoples Democratic Party (Pdp) Chief Olisa Metuh on the
\nfourteenth anniversary of the Pdp, August 31, 2012. Excerpts<\/p>\n
Today, the 31st of August 2012 is the fourteenth anniversary
\nof our great Party, the Peoples Democratice Party (PDP). We all recall that
\nexactly today in 1998, the heroic efforts of eminent Nigerians from all walks
\nof life to form a credible, nationwide, issue and people based political party
\nwere crowned with the official lunching of our great party at the International
\nConference Centre, Abuja.<\/p>\n
The visions of the founding fathers of our party, the
\ncritical elements of its manifesto which centred on re-building Nigeria into a
\npride in the comity of nations, its untrammeled credibility as a truly national
\npolitical party that has been providing a platform for all Nigerians to realise
\ntheir political aspirations irrespective of religious, ethnic or cultural
\naffiliations differentiate the PDP from its contemporaries, indeed, any other
\npolitical party in the history of Nigeria. This unique character of our party
\nhas been the major reason for its preference by Nigerians who have continued to
\nrenew our mandate as seen in 1999, 2003, 2007 and in 2011.<\/p>\n
Ladies and gentlemen, after fourteen years of the formation
\nof the PDP and thirteen years in leadership of our dear nation, we are happy to
\nexpress our deep satisfaction at the roles we have so far played in the course
\nof the development of Nigeria. Nigeria has moved from a pariah nation which it
\nonce was, to an influential global player since the inception of the PDP
\ngovernment. Our status as a regional, continental and global power has been
\nenhanced.<\/p>\n
Part of the cardinal visions of our founding fathers was to
\nform a large, all encompassing political party, with shoulders broad and strong
\nenough to nurture and bequeath democracy to posterity; the PDP has largely met
\nthis. Our founding fathers also intended that the PDP would serve as a bulwark
\nagainst military adventurism and rebuild the fabric of the civil society. This
\nhas also been achieved. It suffices that the democratic credentials of our
\ngreat Party have engendered a new orientation in the nation\u2019s armed forces,
\nenabling Nigeria to enjoy for the first time in her history, over a decade of
\nuninterrupted democracy.<\/p>\n
Laying a new, solid foundation for socio-economic prosperity
\nwas also part of and this, we have also largely achieved. Even though there is
\nstill room for improvement, we can safely state with verifiable facts that the
\nPDP has achieved quite a lot in its fourteen years of existence.<\/p>\n
Today, the PDP is the major catalyst for the unity of
\nNigeria through its strong leadership and all embracing membership whose
\ncentripetal pull has succeeded in relegating the barriers of race, religion and
\nideological persuasions. We all know that these are at the core of issues that
\nhave kept Nigeria down since independence. There is no gainsaying that the PDP
\nis the only truly national political party in Nigeria. It is the only political
\nparty not owned by any individual or group or associated with any tribal or
\nreligious group. It is a melting pot that has given adequate expression to the
\naspirations of all Nigerians irrespective of class, tribe or religion.<\/p>\n
The founding manifesto of the PDP is also elaborate on the
\nresolve and determination of the Party to institute a legacy of credible polls
\nthat has eluded the nation for ages, knowing that free and fair election is
\nfundamental to democracy. Within fourteen years, the nation has gradually
\nadvanced to a stage where free and fair election is taken as guaranteed. The
\n2011 presidential election, in which President Goodluck Jonathan contested as
\nan incumbent was adjudged locally and internationally as free, fair and most
\ncredible in the nation\u2019s recent history. The number of litigations attendant
\nupon the 2011 general elections was drastically reduced as a consequence of its
\ncredible nature. The gains of that successful election reflected in the
\nsubsequent governorship elections in Kogi, Adamawa, Sokoto, Cross River,
\nBayelsa, Kebbi and Edo States.<\/p>\n
The strengthening of the institutions of democracy is also
\nanother area that the PDP has achieved quite a lot in the last fourteen years.
\nThe separation of powers among the executive, legislature and the judiciary has
\ngrown over the years under the PDP leadership. The three arms of government
\nespecially at the centre currently operate with least interference, having
\nmastered the institutional checks and balances among them. This maturity
\ndeveloped over the years is instrumental in eliminating the friction that
\nmarked the executive \u2014 legislature relationship in the first five years of the
\ndispensation. The Independent National Electoral Commission has through reforms
\nand amendments of relevant portions of the Electoral Acts by the National
\nAssembly been strengthened to properly play its role as an unbiased electoral
\numpire.<\/p>\n
In the same vein, rule of law which became a cardinal
\narticle of governance under late President Yar\u2019Adua has remained same under
\nPresident Jonathan while there is also the freedom of information Act which
\nbolsters in no small measure, transparency and accountability without which
\ngood governance cannot be.<\/p>\n
Economically, the PDP leadership has fast-tracked Nigeria
\ninto the digital world of information and communication technology. The mobile
\ntelecom market in Nigeria which started in 2001 is rated as the fastest growing
\nin the world. The PDP government indeed provided the enabling environment and
\ngave the push for investments in this sector to thrive.<\/p>\n
Our Party has also steadied the ship of the Nigerian economy
\nwhich was hitherto threatened by activities of militants in the Niger Delta
\nregion. Through a well articulated amnesty programme, aggrieved insurgents have
\nbeen re-integrated into the Nigerian society and now productively engaged in
\nfruitful activities.<\/p>\n
Similarly, the Party has also embarked on a massive
\nrevamping of infrastructures with improvement in various sectors. The massive
\ninvestment in the railways is gradually yielding dividends as intra and
\nintercity rail transport has commenced in some major cities in the country.
\nThousands of kilometres of roads, which were hitherto death-traps are
\nwitnessing massive rehabilitation while some are completed. The Benin-Lagos
\nroad, Onitsha-Owerri Road, the East-West road, Kano-Maiduguri Road among others
\nare examples of previously abandoned projects which have received needed
\nattention under the PDP-led Federal Government.<\/p>\n
The dredging of River Niger to create a vibrant inland water
\nways system and the creation of River Ports and inland container depots are one
\nof the most innovative and revolutionary measures ever undertaken in Nigeria\u2019s
\nhistory.<\/p>\n
One of the biggest impediments to the timely delivery of
\ngoods and services in Nigeria was congestion at the ports, but the PDP Federal
\nGovernment has effectively tackled this with our ports now offering 24 hour
\nservice and goods cleared in record time.<\/p>\n
Besides, our government recognises that no meaningful
\ndevelopment can be achieved without strong financial institutions in place. The
\nbank reforms instituted across the years by the PDP led Federal Government did
\nnot only strengthen the banks but ensured they withstood the economic meltdown
\nthat pulled down financial institutions across the globe.<\/p>\n
The bottom line is that creating a vibrant private sector
\ndriven economy is a principal economic policy of the PDP. This is behind the
\nprivatisation programme of the government which has so far achieved moderate
\ndegree of success. Under the PDP government, the private sector has been on the
\nrise, contributing millions of jobs and the overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
\nof the country which today stands at over $500 billion from $170 billion in
\n2005.\u201d<\/p>\n
Further more, accountability and probity in public life is a
\nvexed issue but the PDP led government over the years has taken the bull by the
\nhorn and created two anti- corruption institutions in EFCC and ICPC. The
\neffectiveness of these agencies is evident in the various trials and
\nconvictions where even high ranking members of the PDP who were found wanting
\nwere not spared.<\/p>\n
Similarly, for the first time in decades, the PDP led
\ngovernment instituted civil service reforms to create efficiency in the
\nnation\u2019s workforce. The Party went a step further to create a national minimum
\nwage which stands today at 18,000 naira.<\/p>\n
The reforms in the power sector have also achieved a remarkable
\nimprovement in the generation and distribution of electricity round the nation.
\nMassive investments into the sector have kept the hope of realising 15,000
\nmegawatts by 2015 intact.<\/p>\n
Ladies and gentlemen, having taken a deep look at the
\ncompass of time. From August 31,1998 when the PDP was formally launched: our
\nemergence as a formidable, pan Nigerian, and issue based political party: the
\ncourse of our fourteen year history as the custodian of the mandate of the
\npeople, our consistency in upholding the visions of our founding fathers: our
\nlevel of success in service to the people, especially in jealously guiding the
\nindivisibility of Nigeria, we wish to give a resounding ovation to the founding
\nfathers of the PDP, our successive leaders and members and to the entire people
\nof Nigeria for their different heroic roles in the cause of the party and the
\nnation. We have indeed covered a long stretch of mileage in translating our
\nvision into material benefits for the people.We are however not unmindful of the
\nfact that a lot still needs to be done to re-occupy our deserved place in the
\nglobal community.<\/p>\n
The National Working Committee(NWC) has decided that our
\nmembers throughout the Federation and in the Diaspora should use the occasion
\nof this year\u2019s anniversary to soberly reflect on the values of justice, unity
\nand progress which is the motto of our great party. We wish to add that the
\nsignificance of our motto has remained critically essential in navigating
\nthrough the current challenging trajectory of our national history.<\/p>\n
Our anniversary should be an occasion for us to celebrate
\nreally but we have chosen to mark it this year without pomp. This is in line
\nwith our determination to devote more attention to accelerating an all front
\ndelivery of our electoral promises to Nigerians and in deference to the mood of
\nthe nation.<\/p>\n
On behalf of the National Executive Committee of our great
\nParty, our National Chairman , Dr. Bamanga Tukur wishes to commend Nigerians
\nfor their support over the years. We wish to promise once again that the PDP
\nwill continue to make the welfare of the people a priority. We shall do more
\nthan we have done in the last fourteen years and urge that we all keep hope
\nalive.<\/p>\n
We wish to also commend the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan
\nfor epitomising the party\u2019s new spirit and for his determination to transform
\nNigeria. We pay our tribute also to the PDP led National Assembly, our State
\nGovernors and elected and appointed members of our Party at different levels
\nand urge them to continue to lift the banner of the PDP higher.<\/p>\n
I thank you all and may Almighty God continue to bless our
\ngreat Party and our dear nation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Text of World Press Conference by the National Publicity Secretary of The Peoples Democratic Party (Pdp) Chief Olisa Metuh on the fourteenth anniversary of the Pdp, August 31, 2012. Excerpts Today, the 31st of August 2012 is the fourteenth anniversary of our great Party, the Peoples Democratice Party (PDP). We all recall that exactly today […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-interview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50529","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=50529"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50529\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=50529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=50529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=50529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}