APC convention must not be about electing its officers alone — Lukman, DG, PG

Ahead of next month national convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC), stakeholders in the governing party have been urged not to get fixated only on electing new national officers for the party.

Director-General of the Forum of APC Governors, Salihu Lukman said the gathering of chieftains and ordinary faithful of the ruling party scheduled for February should also  discuss how to address the scary security situation in states across the country, the poor state of the economy under its watch and how to consolidate the gains achieved in the area of infrastructures provision.

Lukman in a statement he personally signed entitled, “Issues for Successful APC National Convention,”  argued that a gathering of President Muhammadu Buhari, APC Governors and lawmakers without a robust discussions on how to mitigate security crises and stunted economic growth would have eroded the party capacity  to walk its talks on its much touted change.

The DG of the Progressive Governors Forum expressed concern on the security challenge which he noted has scared a lot of farmers from their farmlands.

He said: “As a party preparing for its National Convention in February 2022, we must appeal to APC leaders to include debate about what needs to be done by all APC government to mobilise the support of Nigerians to bring to an immediate end the current national security challenge in the country. Recommendations that emerge from the Convention should guide the process of reviewing the APC’s manifesto. Unlike other parties, including the PDP, APC must continue to set the needed political agenda to drive the process of mobilising Nigerians for change.

“As a party envisioned to be social democratic, in addition to the challenge of insecurity facing the country, the issue of massive mobilisation of financial investment towards the development of education and health sectors in Nigeria must also be debated at the convention.

Having demonstrated political commitment towards infrastructural development in the country, which has led to the revival of rail transportation and reconstruction of road networks in the country, APC must initiate the rebirth of public education and public health in the country through similar massive investment to build new schools and hospitals, rehabilitate old ones, mass recruitment of teachers and provision of teaching materials. These are not issues that can be achieved based on the current budgeting structure in the country at all levels.

“As we say goodbye to 2021, therefore, APC leaders must focus the planning for its February National Convention towards mobilising the support of Nigerians to contribute in every way necessary, including making personal sacrifices to create the New Nigeria every citizen desire.

The New Nigeria citizens desire will be a product of collective responsibility, shared values and sacrifices and therefore guaranteed security and abundant wealth. Success or failure will be practically about how much sacrifices APC leaders are able to convince Nigerians to make.

“Once the debate at APC convention in February is limited to who emerge as leaders of the party without addressing these fundamental issues, the ability of APC to mobilise Nigerians to build a New Nigeria would have been sacrificed. APC leaders have since 2013 demonstrated capacity to mobilise Nigerians based on clear political agreements. The February 2022 National Convention shouldn’t be an exception.”

Lukman who  appealed to Nigerians to be prepared to make further sacrifices and cooperation to turn around the nation fortunes called on the federal government to make adequate provision for recruitment of additional personnel in the military and police to boost their capacity to counter insurgency, kidnapping and banditry.

“Nigerians must break away from all the fallacies that deceptively guarantee certain levels of consumption habits in the country at the expense of productive activities.

Ability of government to succeed in resolving the current national security challenge will be dependent on the capacity of Nigerians to support government to mobilise all the financial resources required to recruit, train, fund and provide arms to all Nigerian security services. How much sacrifices Nigerians at all levels are ready to make will determine how quickly government can succeed?

“As a party, APC need to do everything necessary to refocus national debates towards strengthening the initiatives of President Buhari led government to produce the desired outcome of securing the country.

Strengthening the capacity of APC-led Federal Government to produce the desired outcome, in the short run, is about massive recruitment of police and military personnel in the country, in addition to the investment that has been made towards procurement of arms, including the A-29 Tucano jets.

In the long run, it is about providing good conditions of services and sustainable funding framework for the operation of police and security services in the country.”

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