yesterday, marked 17 years of its existence with a low-key event at
its Wadata Plaza, Abuja National Secretariat.
Briefing Journalists in Abuja, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief
Olisa Metuh, who catalogued the achievements of the party in its 17
years of existence, said it lost some of its founding and leading
members because they could not withstand what he termed, stiff
competition within the party and some mistakes the party made.
Metuh who tagged his speech, "PDP At 17..Still The Only True National
Party", said that in spite of the exit of some of its founders and
leaders, the party is still in line with the vision and mission of its
founding fathers.
He listed the achievements of the PDP-led administrations in economy,
transportation, agriculture, healthcare, rule of law, entrenching
democracy among others and wondered why the eletorate rejected the
party at the polls in 2015.
PDP pioneer members and leaders, who left the party at different times
include former National Chairmen, Audu Ogbeh, Barnabas Gemade and
Abubakar Kawu Baraje; former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Vice
President Atiku Abubakar, Iyorchia Ayu andYahaya Kwande.
Former PDP National Secretary, Olagunsoye Oyinlola; former governors
Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) Musa Kwankwaso (Kano); Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto);
Murtala Nyako (Adamawa); Kwara state governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed;
Senate President, Bukola Saraki; Kebbi State, Senator Atiku Bagudu;
Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El- Rufai and their Benue State
counterpart, Samuel Ortom among others also dumped the PDP just before
the March/April general elections.
Metuh who enumerated the party's achievements in all the sectors
beginning from 1999 to date, however, said that only the voting public
can explain why the PDP lost the last general elections to the All
Progressives Congress (APC).
"Some of those who defected could not just cope with the level of
competition in the party; and some members felt that they were not
well protected when they sought assistance. Others left because we
lost election, others for selfish reason while some others left when
they felt they were honestly not accommodated in the party."
Metuh was the only member of the 16-man National Working Committee
(NWC) on a day the party announced that it was marking its 17 years
of existence.
On the causes of its loss in the last general election, Metuh said
that the statement credited to the acting chairman of PDP Board of
Trustees, Haliru Bello, to the effect that disrespect for party rules
caused its loss was not the position of the party, which he did not
disclose.
Listing the achievements of the party in the last 17 years, Metu said:
"We recall with pride that the founding fathers of the PDP are heroes
who rose to the challenge, stood up for million of other citizens,
confronted the military and restored genuine democracy, national unity
and stability, entrenched the rule of law and enlarged the political
space we all enjoy today.
"Over the years, the PDP has shown strength as the only Nigerian
political party that is completely owned and controlled by the
Nigerian people; with structures in all the nooks and crannies of the
country; and where no individual or group of individuals can claim
ownership or allowed to appropriate the interest of the generality of
the members.
"This unique national outlook clearly informs PDP's irrevocable stance
on politics of national integration, which ensured that no group or
section in the polity is excluded from power, public office and spread
of development projects, in line with the federal character principle
of our great country.
"At the time PDP came to power, Nigeria's image internationally was in
a deplorable state, with very poor human rights records. The onus of
restoring it from its pariah status then rested squarely on the
PDP-led government, which it successfully executed, returning the
nation to its
pride of place in the comity of nations.
"The PDP-led government under former President Olusegun Obasanjo went
further to work assiduously to settle foreign debts accumulated by
previous administrations and extricated the nation's economy from
burdens of the London and Paris Clubs debt overhang.
"Furthermore, in line with the determination to establish a moral and
ethical society guided by such core values as honesty, integrity and
justice, as contained in its manifesto, the PDP administration set up
the Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence Unit, otherwise known as
Due Process Unit, which ensured transparency in government
procurements and spending.
"The PDP government, in the same vein, immediately established the two
major anti-corruption agencies, the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other
Related Offences Commission (ICPC) with strict establishing and
operation laws to ensure effectiveness and immunity from executive
interferences. Down the years, SERVICOM desks were opened in
ministries and agencies to further ensure ethical standards in
government businesses.
"As a result of this deliberate policies, human rights and business
friendly environment were created and it saw to the massive return of
Nigerians in the Diaspora and the influx of direct foreign investments
into the country.
"Also, in keeping with the vision of our founding fathers to build a
qualitative democratic society, successive PDP administrations for 16
years nurtured and sustained national unity and cohesion through
strict application of the principles of federal character and social
justice, for equitable distribution of wealth and opportunities.
"We initiated series of amendments to the constitution to make it more
responsive to the wishes and aspirations of the people; reformed the
electoral system to allow for greater political participation, granted
operational independence to INEC, enacted the Freedom of Information
law, while upholding the sanctity of the rule of law in all sectors of
the polity.
"To reposition the economy for greater productivity, successive PDP
administrations applied an economic policy, which enhanced a dynamic
economy, in which market forces are combined with the forces of
partnership, solidarity and cooperation to boost private sector
participation and emergence of an empowered middle class system in the
country.
"As you are aware, the hallmark of the PDP administration was anchored
on the policy of transfer of wealth from the public sector to hard
working and enterprising Nigerians. This resulted in the rapid
expansion of the nation's economic frontiers with an unprecedented
growth in small and medium scale enterprises, which helped in
providing employment for millions of our citizens across the country.
"It is incontrovertible that within the 16 years of successive PDP
administrations, more businesses opened in the country in all sectors
of the economy; in telecommunication (with one of the world's fastest
GSM and internet penetrations), transport, aviation, hospitality,
education, agriculture, the media, auto mobile, real estate, oil and
gas, food processing, among others, than in any other period in the
nation's history.
"In the same vein, hitherto weak banking sector was repositioned and
strengthened, thereby providing support for businesses and restoring
investors' confidence in our system. By 2015, the PDP has grown our
nation's economy to the largest in Africa and one of the fastest
growing
in the world.
"Under the PDP administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, our nation
witnessed the successful unbundling of the power sector with massive
investments, resulting in the construction and rehabilitation of
various power projects. This is in addition to investments in oil and
gas sector including the Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of our oil
refineries, which dividends, the nation is now enjoying.
"In the works, transport and aviation sectors, yearly investments by
PDP administrations resulted in the revitalization of the railways,
inland water ways, re-modelling and re-equipping of our aviation
system to international standard, rehabilitation and construction of
thousands of kilometres of roads and bridges across our country.
"Similar yearly investments by successive PDP administrations changed
the face of agriculture in our country from a development Programme to
a business for national wealth creation, focusing on the private
sector.
By 2014 our national food production had expanded by an additional 21
million metric tons, a record, exceeding the national set target of 20
million metric tons for 2015.
"In education and health, meticulous execution of deliberate policies
resulted in significant achievements. While healthcare become more
affordable and accessible, series interventionist initiatives in life
threatening diseases such as malaria, fibroid, HIV and AIDS, VVF,
Hepatitis, Sickle Cell Anaemia, cardiac related ailments, polio which
was successfully eradicated in 2014, among others, culminating in an
unprecedented 50 per cent drop in maternal mortality and increase in
national life expectancy by 2015.
"In education, while all levels of learning received adequate
attention, the National Open University of Nigeria was established to
boost opportunity for tertiary learning. By the end of first quarter
of 2015, 14 new universities were established by the immediate past
PDP administration to ensure that all states in the federation has a
federal university, in addition to the establishment of the Almajiri
system of education in the northern parts to ensure that no Nigerian
child is denied access to education.
"As you are aware, one of the major challenges we faced was security.
Despite the daunting challenges, successive PDP administrations
ensured a well-equipped military, police and para-military agencies to
tackle external and internal aggressions and ensure safety of lives
and property.
"The record ending of the Niger Delta militancy by the Late Umaru
Yar'Adua-led PDP administration, using the Amnesty Initiative, the
containing of kidnapping menace in the south east, the drastic
reduction in cases of highway criminality, using a combination of
combat system
and regulations on electronic money transfer, and the vigorous
confrontation of the fight against insurgency in the North east, all
give credence to the efforts of the PDP.
"Also, the passing into law of "The Prevention of Terrorism Act 2011,"
which provides for prevention, prohibition and combating of acts of
terrorism, the re-equipping of the armed forces with officers and men
undergoing retraining to enhance operations and professionalism; the
streamlining of security agencies for better cohesion of their roles,
including improved intelligence gathering and sharing, which are now
being deployed in the services are all to the credit of the PDP.
"Despite our temporary electoral setback in the last election, the PDP
is a success story. Unarguably, the PDP is still the only pan-Nigeria
party, wholly committed to the Nigerian project, accommodating all
national interest and whose only agenda remains the unity, stability
and prosperity of Nigeria and its people.
"While we restate our gratitude to the Nigerian electorate who stood
by us in our 16 years in government at the centre, and who for obvious
reasons now have greater confidence in us than before, we deeply
celebrate past and present leaders of our party, past and present
members of our National Executive Committee (NEC), past and present
elected government officials at the national and state levels, our
development partners and teeming members nationwide.
"As we play our new opposition role, the PDP as a highly responsible
party, will continue to provide a firm but credible opposition,
presenting alternatives to the programmes and policies of the present
government while firmly standing on the side of the citizens in
opposing acts and policies that are inimical to the health of the
nation and the happiness of the people.
"We therefore call on all well-meaning Nigerians to continue to
support the PDP as it relentlessly pursue and defend those values and
tenets that ensure our unity, stability and prosperity as one people
under God."
-Vanguard
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