Sen. Bassey Otu, an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in Cross River, has lauded the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government for its intervention plans in the state.
Out, who represented Cross River South Senatorial District in the Senate from 2011 to 2014 spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.
He said the APC as a party was doing well at both the federal and state levels.
“APC has done very well at the centre and at the state level, we have an APC governor who is doing very well in Cross River.
“And if you look at the things on ground, the achievements and the milestones so far, it is very commendable.
“All the intervention that the Federal Government has put in place in Calabar is going on as planned and the people are very happy about it.
“Considering the challenges on ground before the birth of APC, I can say it has been a God-sent party, ‘’Otu said.
He noted that the APC under the leadership of its Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planing Committee (CECPC) was reforming the party.
He added that the APC CECPC was also working on moving power back to the people as its owners.
Out, who also represented Calabar Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives between 2003 and 2011, however, identified greed and struggle for political power as a major challenge in political parties in the country.
He said the major challenge of the APC was to internalise the ideas of democracy, adding that the moment that was done, the party would overcome most of the challenges confronting it.
He said that once the APC was able to internalise the tenets of democratic values and principles, it would be the party to beat.
He lauded President Buhari for leading the country in the right direction, saying“ it takes a real president to achieve half of what he has been able to achieve.’’
According to Otu, the Buhari-led administration had achieved so much in all sectors of the country`s economy including road and infrastructural development.
He said the administration had been able to directly impact on the lives of the common man, and was correcting the ills of past administrations.
He, however, said that there was need for the Buhari-led government to do more to address the issues of insecurity in the country.
“There is need to seriously look into the area of banditry which I believe the perpetrator are trying to discredit the government in power.
“So government must look very seriously into it, uncover the sponsors, name them and shame them,’’ he said.
He expressed optimism that most of the challenges confronting the APC would be addressed ahead of its National Convention coming up in December. (NAN)
