Beyond the PDP convention

It was a great relief to the Nigerian people to see the peaceful and orderly conduct of the just- concluded Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primaries held in Port Harcourt over the weekend. The interests of a select group were discarded for the enthronement of the common good of all to the admiration of not only party faithful, but both local and international observers who witnessed the exercise, proving doubters wrong on the ability to run an open democratically approved process.
  
The exercise saw the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, give support to the candidature of Governor Aminu Tambuwal prior to the convention, and his insistence on the Port Harcourt venue. One cannot fail to say that the economic activities of Rivers were greatly boosted to the joy of all in the state. However, the PDP was able to demonstrate that the mantle of leadership of a country of over 180 million Nigerians should not be tied to a supposed kingmaker as we have experienced in the South-West, where a single man, determines the political fortunes of a whole state known to be the economic hub of the nation. The PDP was indeed able to show that, it has overcome the era of impunity and selfish interests that forced intelligent and proven managers of state and personal resources out in the Obasanjo’s reign of “do or die” politics that led Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua of blessed memory to acknowledge the fact that the election that brought him to power in 2007 was fraught with irregularities.

The time has now come, for the PDP to actively move forward and keep the economic blueprints, painstakingly researched and put together by their candidate on the front burner. The clamour for restructuring and decentralising the system which will ensure a robust and competitive development of the six geopolitical zones of the country has heightened to the point at which the continued survival and existence of this marriage called Nigeria is dependent on it.

Being a product of the benevolence of American Peace Corps, Atiku Abubakar is in the best place to implement UNESCO’s benchmark on education funding. The recommendation states that 26% of the nation’s budget should go into funding education which we believe will neutralize the ranks of the Boko Haram sect thereby building on the legacies of the former president, Goodluck Jonathan in the provision of Almajiri schools. Education gives the child a fundamental basis to build upon to cater to their future and their society at large. One must readily commend the efforts of Tambuwal in the provision of 29% of the 2016 state budget. It is a worthy legacy the PDP should build upon. More funds need to be allocated to the research institutes which will, in turn, encourage our scientists to remain in the country. One major pain is the issue of capital flight as Nigeria even with the massive availability of manpower is yet to undergo her first industrial revolution. The school curriculum must be rejigged to address the challenges confronting the nation as people. It will be a great cause, to imbibe the beliefs of the late premier, Obafemi Awolowo in the provision of free quality basic education to children across the country. This is far better than the shambolic school feeding programme currently being run by the Buhari administration.