Restructuring will ensure more accountability – Atiku

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has assured that if he becomes president, he will implement restructuring, and the initiative will make it possible for people to hold their leaders accountable.

Speaking in Calabar on Monday at his latest round of rallies, he told the people that restructuring will reduce the power and resources of the federal government and make the same available to states and local governments so that citizens can hold their leaders at these levels accountable.

He said: “Another very inspiring policy of ours is restructuring the country by restructuring, we mean reducing the powers and resources of the federal government and giving them to the states and local governments so that you will hold your leaders responsible for your development and progress. This will make the Federal Government less powerful, and the powers and resources will be deployed to the states for your benefit.

“This is a major policy of PDP and my policy. There are five important policies that I have identified for this country; unity of our country, security of our country, the economy of our country, education of our young men and women.”

The PDP presidential flag bearer reiterated his promise to provide $10 billion to facilitate youth employment: “Another very good attraction for our young men and women is the allocation of 10 billion US dollars for small and medium scale businesses.”

He told the UJ Esuene Stadium crowd that they should remain with the PDP and not follow the state government to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He promised that he will develop the Calabar Deep Sea Port, road networks, and Lagos-Calabar-Port Harcourt railway corridor for the benefit of the state and the South-South.

The former vice president said: “This gathering is a show of the massive support we enjoy in this state. I thank the people of Cross River for being loyal to PDP and Obidient to PDP.

“As has been said here, the people of Cross River have risen to various statuses in society by their support for the PDP. Don’t follow them to APC, continue to be loyal to the PDP, and the party will continue to be loyal to you and the entire South-South.

“Before I joined politics, I was into maritime business. One of the ports in Cross River, we came to open here and start a business, and that was why when I was the vice president and the issue of the development of Calabar Port came up, I gave my total support so that the Calabar Deep Port can be constructed for the benefit of the people of the state, South-South and Nigeria as a whole.

“I have factories in Adamawa. If the port in Cross River is functioning, I will not take my container to Lagos port because it is shorter for me to take my containers from here to Yola.

“What I am trying to say is that when we open up the Calabar Port, the Eastern flank of Nigeria will be served by the port, which is massive business and employment opportunities for the people of the region.

“One thing you must understand is that the moment the Calabar port is functional, it will be an attraction to factories and businesses and the benefit of Cross River State.

“Again, your agricultural potentials are going to be multiplied. So, it is going to be a golden opportunity for the people of the state, and I promise you, if you vote for the PDP for the president and the governor, we will work together with your legislators to make sure that we implement the policies that the APC has grounded. Since APC came, that project has been dead.

“You must have heard those that have stolen the money for that project. Don’t worry. We will get there.

“Let me also assure you that your agricultural exploits will be to your benefit. There is the issue of infrastructural development, the road network linking you with neighboring states, and the proposed railway from Lagos through Calabar to Port Harcourt. I promised you this would also be done.”

Also speaking, PDP National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, noted that the APC has incurred a debt of $97 billion for the country in about seven years, making every Nigerian a debtor.

The party boss expressed confidence that those who have left the PDP in Cross River State will return home to the party.

He said: “You have voted for some of our great sons and daughters in the PDP. Unfortunately, some of them have disappointed you. But wherever they go, they will return home because the people of Cross River State will not go with them.

“I want to beg of you that on the 25th of this month, vote for one Nigerian who will unify this country, who will wipe your tears, who will make sure that the economy of Nigeria comes back to be the first and best economy in the continent.

“When we left office in 2015, naira was exchanged at N180 to a dollar. How much is naira exchanging to a dollar, N800 to a dollar? That brings poverty to you. When we left, we left a foreign debt of $9.6 billion. The APC has increased that debt to $97 billion within seven years.

“In order wards, each one of you standing here is a debtor, and it is affecting the economy of this country because all the money we are earning, we spend on servicing debt. It is not an investment on the road. It is not an investment in infrastructure. It is not an investment to import what you need. It is not investment in education. Today, we are packing our money and giving it to foreigners.

“Let me tell you that the solution is in your hands. When you vote right, you will discover that insecurity will be a thing of the past in six months because we’ll tackle it.”

Also speaking, the Chairman of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council and Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, assured the people that the federal government under Atiku will develop the infrastructure of Cross River State.

“With what we are seeing today, you have shown that you are courageous and tenacious, showing the bravity of our people. I say God bless you.

“I want to assure you that we are known to be a very loyal set of people. Every country, everywhere you go to, there is a section of the country that has a colour, our colour is loyalty, our colour is PDP, our colour is capacity, our colour is human development, our colour is delivering prosperity, development and then poverty alleviation.

“All those industries in Cross River, employment is not there for our youths. I want to assure you that we will get that support under Atiku’s government. I want to assure you that infrastructure in terms of road network under Atiku Abubakar will be very well developed,” he declared.