2015 presidency: Atiku breaks governors’ ranks

Posted by admin General Politics, Governors, Latest Politics Monday, September 8th, 2014

Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has listed commitment to nation building, promotion of genuine democratic ethos, youth development, and the desire to give back to the society as the building blocks of his aspiration for the office of president.

Abubakar, who will formally declare for the plum seat on Wednesday, September 24, told Sunday Sun that he would put these assets “at the disposal of Nigeria and the people”. As part of his campaign thrust to clinch the ticket of the APC, a grand offensive is already afoot in all the power blocs within the party with active participation of interest groups in the South west, south east and the North. The Turakin Adamawa, who is widely called the “bridge- builder”, by his associates has already infiltrated the ranks of the governors who are considered to be the most powerful and influential unit in the party. Indeed, three of the governors, from the south west, south east and south south have already positioned themselves and are frantically lobbying to become his running mate.

At the moment, the governor from the South west, who recently lost an election, has the cutting-edge and stands in pole position to clinch it. The calculation in Abubakar’s camp is that with his popularity in the North, and a running mate from the south west who is not only close to the acclaimed National Leader of the party, but from his in-laws’ zone, the deed is accomplished. Although he also has conjugal affinity with the south east, the relative low popularity of the party in the zone as well as general acceptance of President Goodluck Jonathan by the people is one major reason why the governor from the region is put at a disadvantage position. As for the South South governor, his immense wealth pales into insignificance with his famed controversies and the uncertainty of his capacity to dislodge Jonathan in his zone. Abubakar, known for his doggedness and penetrating capacity has sent out messages to campaign managers declaring that, “this is my time. I am the candidate of Unity. The country needs healing” The new development has injected excitement into his political camp, and upset initial calculations in the opposition All Progressives Congress, (APC), Sunday Sun learnt. Plans for the declaration which has reached an advanced stage will pull together an intimidating array of his supporters and associates across the length and breadth of the country to showcase his political strength. To herald the declaration and his campaign thrust, a 7 – point agenda on his new policy direction with the theme: “The New Atiku” has been finalized and ready for roll out. The agenda covers education, security, infrastructure, governance, economy/Job creation, health and the Diaspora.

Under security, which has 7 points of interest, the former top Customs boss proposes to create a dedicated “counter terrorism and intelligence division independent of the Armed Forces, Police and DSS. According to Sunday Sun’s findings, “this specialist division will be backed by law in the National Assembly (NASS) and given a dedicated budget and powers to pursue the government’s counter terrorism agenda.

Other highlights of his proposed security agenda include commercialization of personal security by public officials, a new “National Security strategy” that will contain threats posed by Boko Haram and other forms of insurgencies and terrorism, promoting regional co-operation on anti-terrorism, counter insurgency and containment, partnership with foreign allies, and the overhaul of the entire security apparatus to deal with modern challenges.

Under Education with I1 points of interest, Atiku intends to introduce a league system of assessing performance of schools/universities and incentivizing performing ones in the areas of funding and grants, introducing innovative private sector funding methods through adoption of schools by corporate organizations in return for exemptions on taxes and levies, re-introducing school inspection and monitoring agencies independent of the Ministry of Education, and free education for children from deprived homes and reintroduction of comprehensive scholarship schemes and grants in tertiary institutions, among other striking educational reforms.

Under infrastructure which has four key interest areas, Atiku would strengthen and patronize the Nigerian infrastructure bank, as well as revitalize the Nigerian Infrastructure Fund.

His proposed reforms on governance will encompass the creation of new institutional architecture for governance, building leadership around systems instead of individuals, and making federalism to work for Nigeria.

Others include: entrenching an effective justice system, developing a political will to tackle corruption, and defining governance as a social contract between the leaders and the governed.

His action policy on economy and job creation focuses on infrastructure and energy overhaul, comprehensive power reforms, incentivizing private sector players to increase capacity for employment generation, and forming “a network of partners” initiative to unlock job creation opportunities, among others. In driving his health reforms, the pivot will be on constitutional and national health care policy review to create a clear delineation in primary healthcare delivery, creating league table, equipment update in primary healthcare delivery services and mandating tertiary health care institutions to go into partnerships with primary healthcare clinics within the communities they are located. Atiku also intends to engage Nigerians in the Diaspora to embrace made-in-Nigeria product exports abroad, introducing appropriate incentives to attract Diaspora inward investment potentials, and engaging Diaspora expertise in the transfer of appropriate technology into Nigeria.

Atiku ran for the presidency in 2007 on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). In 2011, his bid for the ticket of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) failed, even after securing the nod of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) ahead of former military leaders, Generals Ibrahim Babangida, Muhammadu Buhari, and Mohammed Gusau.

-Sunwp_posts