By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
Governors elected on the platform of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) rose from a closed doors meeting held in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital on Monday with a call on the Federal Government to quickly consider
the decentralisation and restructuring of the security architecture of the country.
The Governors under the auspices of PDP Governors’ Forum also called on the National Assembly to quickly conclude deliberations on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, pointing out that the early conclusion of new Electoral Act
Amendment Bill is vital for credible elections in Nigeria going forward.
The above demands by the PDP Governors’ Forum are part of the Nine-point Communique issued by the Forum in Port Harcourt after their meeting on Monday.
According to the Forum, a quick consideration of
the decentralisation and restructuring of the security architecture is the most viable solution to the spate of insecurity in the country, adding that the decentralisation together with proper arming, funding and training requirements for security agencies will be a game changer in the war against insecurity in Nigeria.
The Communique reads in parts: “The PDP Governors’ Forum held its regular meeting crucial to the sustenance of our Democracy on Monday, 17th January, 2022, at the Rivers State Government House, Port Harcourt, the first in the new year.
“The meeting once again reviewed the state of the States, the state of the nation and THE PDP and issued the following Communique:
“1. The PDP Governors congratulated the entire PDP family for conducting a smooth and credible National Convention that led to the emergence of the highly acclaimed Senator Dr. Iyorchia Ayu-led National Executive Committee and commended the new PDP NWC for hitting the ground running with respect to repositioning the PDP into a credible vehicle for RESCUING and REBUILDING Nigeria which has been battered by bad economy, insecurity, unemployment and other social ills by the incompetent and inept APC Administration.
“2. The PDP Governors requested the National Assembly to quickly conclude deliberations on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill either by overriding Mr President’s veto or deleting areas of complaints. The meeting advised that the option of sustaining Mr President’s veto would lead to a quicker resolution and would deny Mr President the opportunity to once again truncate a reformed Electoral jurisprudence for Nigeria. An early concluded Electoral Act is vital for credible elections.
“3. The meeting lamented the continued state of insecurity in the country, the persistent and ceaseless flow of Nigerians’ blood on a daily basis in many parts of Nigeria, the near collapse of the security situation in Nigeria. The strategies to confront terrorists, kidnappers, bandits and other criminals is still a major problem of the APC administration.
“4. The meeting expressed regrets that Mr President is unwilling, from his recent comments discountenancing the proposals for state policing, to participate in reviewing the structural problems of tackling insecurity in Nigeria and urges Mr President to reconsider his position and consider decentralisation and restructuring of the security architecture as the most viable solution, together with proper arming, funding and training requirements for Security Agencies.
“5. The Nigerian Economy has continued to deteriorate and Nigerians have become numb and accustomed to bad economic news as exemplified by the inconsistent and differential exchange rate regime, high interest rates, unsustainable unemployment figures and borrowing spree some of which have not been applied to important projects, and other bad economic indicators. In particular, it is clear that the APC Government is a massive failure when compared with the records of PDP in government. The PDP handed over a $550 billion economy (the largest in Africa), but under APC, Nigeria is the Poverty Capital of the world. In 2015, under PDP, the exchange rate was N198 per Dollar, it is now under APC almost N500 to a Dollar; In 2015, unemployment rate was 7.3% under PDP, it is now 33%, one of the highest in the world under APC; In 2015, the Pump price of Petroleum was N87 per litre, it is now N165 per litre and climbing under APC. Debt Servicing now under APC takes over 98% of the Federal budget. The tales of woe is endless.
“6. The PDP Governors noted that the management of our Oil and Gas resources, the administration of Federation Account remittances have remained opaque, confusing and non – transparent. In addition, the transition to NNPC Ltd under the Petroleum Industry Act has not been properly streamlined to ensure that the interests of all the tiers of Government are protected, consistent with the 1999 Constitution.
“7. The meeting urged eligible Nigerians of all walks of life, particularly the Youths, to register en masse with INEC to exercise their franchise in the 2023 general elections. It further noted that the next election is a very consequential election that should be used to end the dominance of very youth unfriendly APC Government; a government that had the arrogance to deny Nigerian youths of the use of TWITTER, a business friendly tool for the young, for over a year. The youths should empower themselves to determine who leads them.
“8. The PDP Governors congratulated the Chief Host, His Excellency, Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, CON, for the very high standards of hosting and for the great leadership performance he has entrenched in Rivers State.
“9. The PDP Governors wished Nigerians and PDP Members a happy new Year”.
Members of PDP Governors Forum who attended the Port Harcourt meeting are:
Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State, Chairman ;
Udom Emmanuel- Akwa Ibom; Senator Douye Diri-Bayelsa; Samuel Ortom- Benue; Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa -Delta; Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuany – Enugu and Chief
Nyesom Wike-Rivers (Host).
Others are Engr. Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde-Oyo; Mr.
Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri-Adamawa; Senator Bala Mohammed- Bauchi and Darius Ishaku-Taraba.
