PEOPLES’S Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftain, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, has appealed to Nigeria electorates to vote en mass for PDP presidential candidate in 2019 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Onuesoke, who described Atiku as “fantastically qualified to rule Nigeria,” made the statement when members from oil producing communities in Delta State paid him a courtesy call in his office in Warri, Delta State.
He said that Atiku was very qualified to contest the presidential election and had the right ideas to address the challenges affecting the country, stressing that he had done it as Vice President and would perform better if voted as President.
He pointed out that Atiku’s achievements, ideas and vision speak for him, adding that he is still very fit, qualified and have the ideas that will put Nigeria on the right path.
Onuesoke recalled that as head of the National Council of Privatisation, he superintended over the GSM revolution that saw Nigeria go from 50,000 to 100 million GSM lines.
“As Vice President, he added 500,000 direct jobs to the Nigerian economy and attracted $27bn to our GDP.
“Another of Abubakar’s achievements is the successful privatisation of many public enterprises that hitherto consumed government resources without yielding a profit.
“He assembled what is arguably the best Economic Team ever in Nigeria. It was made up of young, world-class professionals, who came home to work.
“Some of those professionals are now political leaders, governors and world leaders in their own right,” he enthused.
Onuesoke recalled that as Vice President, Atiku was instrumental in the successful negotiation with Nigeria external creditors that saw Nigeria pay off a total of $14.48 billion in return for the cancellation of her remaining $18 billion debt.
He added that the PDP Presidential candidate equally set up the Debt Management Office (DMO) to review and restructure Nigeria’s debt.
“As Vice President Atiku worked hard to achieve universal primary education, eliminate hunger, reduce child and maternal mortality, protect the environment, combat HIV/AIDS and malaria as contained in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
“Their economic reforms led to massive growth in both the formal and informal economy. By the time they left office in 2007, Nigeria economy was ranked 31st in the world in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which was estimated to be about $500 billion (estimate included both formal and informal economy). It became the second biggest economy in Africa.
“To ensure that the increased revenue accruing to the government benefited the greatest number of people, the Obasanjo/Atiku administration set up the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Economic and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),” the Delta PDP chieftain noted.
He added that both the ICPC and EFCC waged a vigorous and sustained war against corruption, money laundering, advanced free fraud and other economic and financial crimes.
He stated that the administration’s aggressive anti-corruption drive received commendations at home and abroad and received financial and technical support from foreign countries and organizations.
According to him, the Obasanjo/Atiku administration also introduced a new procurement system with emphasis on due process, transparent conduct of government business and adherence to public service rules and financial regulations.
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