Buhari Administration Delivering On Election Promises Despite Challenges-Oyegun
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun says despite difficulties and challenges, the President Muhammadu Buhari APC-led administration is delivering on its election promises.
He said the fight against corruption, one of the major promises of the APC is being won to the extent that it can no longer be a threat to the national economy, where it becomes an acceptable way of life, of doing business.
Odigie-Oyegun spoke when he received the Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger, Dr. Abubakar Dzukogi and the management team of the polytechnic on a courtesy visit and official notification of his nomination for a fellowship award and invitation to the 15th combined convocation ceremony of the federal polytechnic, Bida, Niger.
The convocation is scheduled for Wednesday, March 28, 2018.
Odigie-Oyegun: “I am particularly pleased by your recognition that inspite of difficulties, challenges the government of the APC is delivering on its promises to the Nigerian people. That is important for me and I really see this award as coming to me on behalf of the government and party. It is the passionate leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari that has made it impossible for opponents to distract and derail the administration.
“Yes, there are still challenges in the land, there is no question about it and as you rightly said, we took over in very difficult circumstances including a fundamental problem of the collapse of the price of crude oil. Conditions were such that we needed an extraordinary man of courage to be able to lead the country out the crisis that we inherited to the increasing economic stability and progress which this nation clearly is beginning to attain.
Odigie-Oyegun said in the area of security, the administration has recorded successes particularly in the fight against Boko Haram terrorists which have been limited to attack on soft targets.
“What is clear is that Boko Haram has been degraded to the extent that they do not occupy any inch of Nigerian territory where it can raise its flag.” He said
The APC National Chairman also highlighted successes the administration has recorded in the area of infrastructure and the fight against corruption.
“On infrastructure, a lot of beautiful work is going on, particularly on the railway system. You cannot carry meaningful development on trucks on the highways… Development has to be carried on the back of a modern railway system and the president has made that a top priority and today we can say on the implementation platform is 5oookm of modern standard gauge railway that will cut across the length and breadth of this country.
“On corruption, we all know that corruption is fighting back. But it is not a problem you fight with a flick of a switch, because corruption is very rich, corruption is very wealthy, corruption is very elitist, they are bound to fight back and they are fighting back. But thank God we have a president who is single-minded about taming that scourge and tame it we will. We know now that corruption is not as brazen as it was.
“We don’t just now take money from the public till and distribute to politicians and the rest of it, that no longer happens… nobody is saying corruption has been wiped out, there is no country in the world where corruption has been wiped out, but it is being tackled in Nigeria to the point where it can no longer be a threat to the national economy, where it does not become an acceptable way of life, of doing business.” Odigie-Oyegun said.
Speaking during the visit, the Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger, Dr. Abubakar Dzukogi said Odigie-Oyegun choice was informed by many successes recorded by the APC-led administration. While hailing APC National Chairman for leading the Party to the 2105 presidential election victory and successive electoral successes, the Rector described Odigie-Oyegun as a “master strategist”.
Dzukogi: “We have taken into consideration, your (Odigie-Oyegun) contribution to education generally, both in and outside government. But more significantly, being a national chairman of a party that brought in this government, it wasn’t an easy task but you succeeded because you are a master strategist. Having put in place this government, the government has been doing wonderfully well to the acceptance and admiration of Nigerians.
“For instance, in the area of security, it only in one or two places you hear the menace of Boko Haram and other security challenges. In the area of economy, this is a government that came when oil prices crashed, but as a result of various economic measures taken by this government, we are out of recession. The credit has gone to this government. Without your party producing people who can perform, we cannot be talking of achieving.
“In the area of infrastructure development, any time we travel on our roads, we see so much work going on. There has been a lot of improvement. In the area of agriculture, many Nigerians have gone back to farms. For the first time, the importation of rice according to statistics has reduced drastically. The fight against corruption has been a cornerstone of this administration’s policy and it is achieving results. It is no longer business as usual. While we take all of this into consideration, we are convinced beyond reasonable doubt that we have made a right choice.”
Members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) present were the Deputy National Chairman (North), Senator Lawali Shuaibu, National Auditor, Chief George Moghalu and National Treasurer, Alh. Bala Mohammed Gwagwarwa.
