A PRESS BRIEFING ON THE UNVELIING OF PRESIDENT GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN AND JIMI KAYODE AGBAJE AS THE PDP PRESIDENTIAL AND GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATES FOR NIGERIA AND LAGOS STATE RESPECTIVELY BY ENGR SUNDAY EKANEM ON TUESDAY,13TH JANUARY, 2015."

Southsouthpdp Lagos

A TEXT OF A PRESS BRIEFING ON THE UNVELIING OF PRESIDENT GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN AND JIMI KAYODE AGBAJE AS THE PDP PRESIDENTIAL AND GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATES FOR NIGERIA AND LAGOS STATE RESPECTIVELY BY ENGR SUNDAY EKANEM ON TUESDAY,13TH JANUARY, 2015." All protocol observed. It is with great pleasure that, on behalf of the executive committee, Board of Trustees (B.O.T) and the entire members of the South South PDP Forum, Lagos, I welcome you all to this august occasion/press conference for the unveiling of Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and Jimi Agbaje, as the flagbearers of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in both the presidential and gubernatorial elections slated for the 14th and 28th of February 2015 respectively. Before enumerating the innumerable achievements of the present PDP-led government of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, entitling him to vie for a second-term, we consider it necessary to clarify and evaluate recent policy statements, scathing campaign tirades and debilitating falsehood that the main opposition party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) has been peddling so as to score cheap political points heading to the general elections, few weeks from now. APC DECEITFUL CAMPAIGNS AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL Granted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is a useful counterpoise to the Peoples Democratic Congress (PDP) in the Nigeria Political landscape, it is nonetheless capricious, that it predicated the thrust of its Campaign on two germane issues of grave national importance viz : I. That APC government led by Gen. Mohammadu Buhari will, if voted into power, fight and eradicate corruption in Nigeria with immediate effect. II. That it will also put a final stop to insurgency once elected by Nigerians to form the government at the centre. In determining whether such Campaign promises are realizable or not, it is only expedient that we look critically at the personality of the APC presidential candidate, Gen Mohammadu Buhari, whether he has the right pedigree and capacity to deliver on his promises or is merely playing to the gallery to deceive Nigerians since it is common knowledge that no one can give what he does not have, just as it is also impossible to place something on nothing. THE GEN. MOHAMMADU BUHARI WE ALL KNOW It is common knowledge that Gen. Buhari is a four time presidential candidate of three different opposition parties in this country in the preceding 16 years after ruling Nigeria between 1983 – 1985 as a military Head of state when he toppled a democratically elected government of President Shehu Shagari, thereby re-instituting and extending military rule in the country. This singular act does not portray Gen. Buhari, as an enemy of democracy and adversary of the rule of law but also a man obsessed with greedy ambition for power. How can a man that forcefully truncate democracy in the country under questionable circumstances suddenly be regarded as the beacon of democracy and an icon of anti-corruption crusade? We consider the act as anti-democratic as well as a clear act of corruption. So, the Gen. Buhari we know is not as HOLY and IMPECCABLE as the APC and his supporters would have Nigerians believe. To believe this hoax of a story, one wonders the indictment of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) headed by Bhurai as the Executive Chairman for over-invoicing and contract inflation by Dr Haroun-led management committee that investigated the rot in the PTF in 1999. In fact, according to the report of the committee under the strangle-hold of Buhari, was allegedly accused of mismanaging and defrauding the Federal Government of the of over N25.7 billion with the aid of the Consultancy group known as Afri-Projects Consortium (APC), a company contracted by Gen. Buhari as management and project consultants. This much, Gen Buhari’s party man, Mallam Nasr El- Rufai admitted in his book called “Accidental Public Servant” when he testified about the Kastina Boys. The image being peddled by Gen. Buhari and his spin-doctors, to the effect that once he returns to power, he will fight and eradicate corruption in Nigeria is but a fable knowing that the same Gen. Buhari, could not account for a stolen N2.8 billion under his watch as the Minister of Petroleum, in 1978. And it is amazing that when a Senate Probe Panel led by Late Senator Olusola Saraki, later traced the said money to a London Bank Account, from where it later vanished completely until date yet we are told Gen. Bhuari has zero tolerance for corruption and he is impeccable in character as well as having the magic wand to curb corruption in the country. GEN. BUHARI’S STANCE ON INSURGENCY. It is to us flattering to hear that Gen. Mohammadu Buhari has promised Nigerians that he will put an end to insurgency in the North East/ North Central if elected as President. Besides, if not laughable, I wonder what else it is, considering the fact that his past commentaries on the state of the nation and on insurgency in the Northern states by the extremist Islamic radical fundamentalist group, Boko Haram, portray him as sympathetic towards Boko Haram and its cause. We want Nigerians to judge if a man who has made inflammatory statements as the following is fit to put an end to this wave of terrorism in the country: I. That “an attack on Boko Haram is an attack on the North” – which he made last year. II. That “Muslims should only vote for Muslims” . That “why should Christians be concerned when Muslims cut off their limbs under Sharia. That “I will continue to show openly and inside me the total commitment to the sharia movement that is sweeping all over Nigeria”. That “God willing we will not stop the agitation for the total implementation of the sharia in the country” to mention but a few. Does a whose inflammatory and inciting statements prior to, during and after the presidential elections in 2011, led to the massive Killings and destructions in the North be considered as president?. More so, when it is common knowledge that he had not deemed it fit to condemn the perpetrators of these heinous acts until recently when it became obvious that he was going to run for the office of the President. “What is paramount to Nigerians is for Gen. Buhari to present his blue print and road map on how to tackle and fight the insurgency since it is on record that during his stint as the Head of State he failed abysmally to equip and train our Armed Forces despite the huge defence appropriations of that era. PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN’S GOODLUCK TO NIGERIA: A FARCE OR REALITY. The Peoples Democratic Party Government of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has brought enormous goodluck and blessings to Nigeria so much so that the Nigeria economy has today blossomed, become more robust, competitive and the toast of global economic pundits and business leaders. Permit me to enumerate a few of such milestone achievements of President Dr. G. E. Jonathan and by extension, the PDP, as recorded in nearly four years of the life of this administration. 1. Rebasing of the Nation’s economy last year which placed its value at N510 Billion making Nigeria the African colossus so far ahead of South Africa with N370 Billion. 2. Giving 1.5 million farmers access to subsidized seeds and fertilizers via Mobile Phones and the development of E-Wallet system. 3. Completed the development of a sugar master plan and aided the construction of New rice mills with over 72,000 M/T capacity in Enugu and Ebonyi and that has make us a major rice exporter in the continent. 4. The unbundling of PHCN and pragmatic implementation of the power sector road map for the total privatization of the generation and distribution aspects. 5. 33% appointments at the federal executive level for women in line with the affirmative action in federal appointments. 6. Construction of over 651km of roads paved with Bitumen including Apapa – Oshodi Expressway, Benin- Ore- Shagamu Expressway, Abuja- Abaji- Lokoja dualisation, Kano- Maiduguri dualisation, Onitsha- Owerri Expressway, just to mention but a few. In a nutshell, it is not enough for Gen. Buhari and the APC to boast that they will revamp Nigerian economy, create jobs, award scholarship in all tiers of education in the country etc, they can do better by producing a road map and blue-print of how they intend to go about these issues. THE MANY SINS OF THE APC GOVERNMENT IN LAGOS STATE Today, we are unveiling to you Jimi Agbaje, a qualified pharmacist, industrialist, philanthropist, devout Christian and a true son and indigene of Ikorodu Royal House in Lagos state, as the Governorship Candidate of the PDP in Lagos and not a counterfeit Lagosian as claimed by some other gubernatorial candidates in Lagos State. The choice of Jimi Agbaje by the PDP is borne out of the need to present a credible candidate that will reposition Lagos state. The PDP in Lagos state is intent on forming the next Government in order to halt the slide into anarchy. And many atrocities (sins) of the APC led-government of Barr. Babatunde Fashola, who against all odds and professional ethics has become more audacious, vicious and less stateman-ly in his vitriolic attack on the person of President Goodluck Jonathan, unmindful of the need to first remove the Log in his own eyes before attempting to remove that in others. If we have to recount the many sins of the APC Government in Lagos state we won’t leave here today nonetheless we will mention but a few viz: Entrenching a policy of continuing multiple taxation of Lagosians in virtually all spheres of human endeavor. Indiscriminate and unlawful deportation of non – Yorubas speaking resident in Lagos. Unprecedented exploitation, violation and infringement of the rights of non-Yorubas in Lagos. Deceitful repossession, displacement, demolition of shops and markets owned and populated predominantly by non - Yoruba s indigenes in Lagos state, without fashioning out any alternatives, Arbitrary and incessant raid, arrest, detention and imprisonment of street hawkers, traders, artisans (most of whom are non – Yoruba indigenes eking out a living in Lagos and without recourse to the provision of any form of legal representation for such victims. Arbitrary increase in school fees of LASU students by as much as 3000% while remaining impervious to pleas for reconsideration not until some protesting students had suffered fatally in the process and the government was faced with the reality of a backlash in the coming general elections, before she recapitulated, and the imposition of discriminatory fees at LASU, on non-Yoruba’s and on courses labeled as more superior Insensitive tolling of bridges, roads etc The contracting of every department of medical services in state owned hospitals to their cronies whilst making same clumsy, cumbersome and fraught with unbelievable bureaucracy that often leads to untimely deaths of those on emergency. Allocation of proto-types houses and lay-outs to themselves and their cronies to the exclusion of non- Yoruba indigenes. Undue harassment, intimidation and blackmail of her political opponents by way of seal-up their premises for trumped up charges of unpaid land use tax, breach of environment laws etc; a case in point being that Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu. Executives recklessness in the arrest of motor- bike riders (popularly known as Okada) on routes hitherto earmarked for their use and the subsequent seizure and crushing of tens of thousands of motor – bike owned by non – Yoruba indigenes thereby throwing thousands into the unemployment market. Selective construction of model school buildings in mostly high – brow neighborhoods and at other times besides schools that still house pupils in obsolete and dilapidated buildings where they are made to squat or stand and under leaking roofs. Vicious and gangster-like operational style of LASTMA officials which has resulted in several untimely deaths for genuine and perceived traffic offenders on Lagos roads especially bus drivers and conductors. Foisting a regime of unabated corruption on Lagosians via the perennial concessioning of E – IGR consultancy in Lagos state for close to sixteen years to a company called Alpha Beta, purportedly owned by one of the APC leaders, without due regards to periodic ‘’ tendering and bidding processes’’ that would have made for such concessions to be credible; wherefore large sums of Lagos tax – payers money is paid out as questionable consultancy fees. Infact the list of APC sins in Lagos is endless. The choice of Jimi Agbaje by the South South PDP and her indigenes in Lagos, is borne out of the need to present a credible candidate that will assuage the yearnings of Lagosians for a humane, ingenious and economically sound indigene to take over as the new helmsman at Alausa, the seat of Government It is in the light of above that we are calling on all Lagosians, Arewas, Ndi – Igbos, south – southerners, middle-Belters etc. to join hands with Jimi Agbaje and the PDP to kick out the present shambolic APC Government of Gov. Fashola for her malicious, elitist, inept policies that have made her detached from the masses of our people who voted her into power years back. If we must enthrone probity, professionalism, accountability, respectability, people oriented programs, vision, enterprise, digitalism, youthfulness, even distribution of resources and infrastructure, recognition of non- Yoruba’s, excellence etc. into the art of governance in Lagos State come 29th May, 2015. vote Jimi Agbaje, vote PDP, vote Jonathan come 2015 GENERAL ELECTIONS: We use this medium to call on our sons and daughters in the South South Political zone especially Rivers State and Akwa Ibom, to vote massively for all the PDP candidates. We want to appeal to our people to visit the nearest INEC PVC collection centres to collect their PVC’s without which nobody can vote. Thank you all for your time and for honouring our invitation at short notice. Happy New Year Engr. Sunday O. Ekanem (Chairman, South-South PDP Forum, Lagos)