Nigeria - Ruling PDP Pass Vote Of Confidence On President Jonathan

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday said any objective assessment of the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration would reveal the tremendous achievements it has recorded in the last 14 months.

The party further said only desperate politicians tag it with non-performance.
This came as the Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Olajumoke Akinjide, yesterday attributed the sustainance of the 12 years of uninterrupted civil rule in the to the PDP, adding that the party is fundamental to the entrenchment of true democracy in the country.

The PDP while responding to criticisms by members of the opposition political parties and the 19 northern states’ chapters of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), said it was sad that criticisms have beclouded the vision of those condemning the efforts of government not see the progress being made in all sectors of the economy.

According to a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Olisa Metuh, “We have no doubt whatsoever that the President is on course and will continue to deliver on the PDP promises to the people of Nigeria. Quite a lot has been achieved in the various sectors and there is no gainsaying the fact that the government needs the continued support and  Metuh said though it is the right of every Nigerian especially the opposition to assess and interpret government’s efforts to suit their biases, objectivity of criticisms is central to any collective effort towards building a better nation.

“Let’s remain partisan, let’s remain politically plural for that is the true essence of democracy but let the greater interest of the nation remain prime in all our engagements. Mischief and deliberate misinformation calculated to bring the President to undeserving disrepute is a great disservice to the nation. We wish that those who have made this a hobby would quickly realise their mistake and retrace from this untoward track that would least benefit the nation,” the PDP spokesman said.

According to him, notwithstanding the security challenges in the country which the President is sparing no effort in tackling, he has made significant strides in every sector of national growth.

He continued, “Even though the issue of security as the President admitted was not a major issue during his campaign, he has nonetheless been on top of the emerging security challenges while at the same time delivering on other sectors.

“Communities and towns across Nigeria have witnessed remarkable improvement in public power supply as generation has moved from 3000 megawatts in 2011 to 4300megawatts as of today.”

Akinjide stated this yesterday while welcoming the executive members of the Osun State chapter of the party to her office.

She said the PDP was the only party where internal democracy currently obtained and thus has helped to stabilise the polity.

She said: “PDP is the only party that accommodates different views and not controlled by a single person. We are working on internal democracy where people emerge through grassroots election and not hand-picked.

“The PDP is entrenching true democracy in the country. We have a new national executive committee led by a chairman that is recognised world-wide and respected. Politics is a noble call to serve the people and be honourable as well as transparent”.

The minister further stated that the goal of the PDP in the South West was to win back all the states in the region.

“South West is one of the major parts of Nigeria outside the federal level. This is not in the interest of the region. The South West needs to be inside and part of the federal level in order to be part of the decision making,” she stressed.

The statement said Jonathan’s administration met ten abandoned independent power plants and has successfully revitalised all. While some of the plants in five of the power stations located at Olorunsogo, Sapele, Omotosho, Geregu and Alaoji are completed and are already generating power, the rest of the power stations at Calabar, Egbema, Ihovbor, Omoku and Gbarain are at various stages of completion.

“This improved generation capacity is not isolated as government through the National Independent Power Plant is similarly building robust distribution and transmission infrastructures. The construction of about 8000kilometers of high capacity electric lines is at the final stages of completion across the length and breadth of the country while distribution transformers are being added at the consumer level to enhance the stability of power distribution.”

In attracting foreign investment, the party added that Nigeria has once more become a destination of multinational power conglomerates like the General Electric Company, Siemens, Daewoo and the Electrobras of Brazil which have gone beyond mere statement of intention to preliminary investment engagements.

“This is as a result of the investment friendly atmosphere created by the present administration.”