BEING TEXT OF PRESS CONFERENCE OF PRINCE UCHE SECONDUS PDP NATIONAL CHAIRMAN THURSDAY 19TH MARCH 2020
Gentlemen of the Press, welcome to this press conference.
Preamble.
The facts are indisputable that President Mohammadu Buhari-led APC Administration has woefully failed the people of Nigeria. This is a general consensus across this great country. No segment of our nationhood is in good shape as we speak.
The economy is in a dire state as the country heads toward insolvency, occasioned by huge unserviceable debts and the crash of oil price.
Nigerians continues to live in fear as security situation worsens and remains unabated.
Corruption update.
The twin evils of bribery and corruption have continued reign supreme in the nation’s public and private lives. All over the country, strategic institutions have been bedeviled by varying degree of corrupt practices. There are also widespread allegations on several serving public officers of corrupt enrichments with no actions taken. For a regime that came into office on the pedestal of revamping the economy, restoring security and fighting corruption to fail on all scores, it is obvious the bloom is well off the roses. Reports just released from the state department of the United States of America confirmed this worrying development that In Nigeria public officials still engage in corrupt practice with impunity.
Rule of Law and democratic institutions
There are other core issues of our national life that have similarly deteriorated under this administration. Constitutionalism and due process of law are being circumvented, compromised and abused. For example, public officers whom the law demands legislative confirmation are put and kept in offices against the provisions of the law. There are also rampant deliberate and scornful disregard of court orders and legislative resolutions. Furthermore, extra-judicial acts of security agencies have effectively compromised the fundamental human rights of Nigerians. The several mindless cutting down of the lives of Nigerians all over the country are sore examples of reference. Even the little mileage made on the image of the country in the international community in the years before 2015 has been lost. One could go on and on; the problems are without end! The cumulative effects of all these, however, is the weakening of such critical democratic institutions like political parties, the electoral process, the judiciary and the backbone of our nationhood, the military.
Unemployment and its social effects.
It is important to point out that the sociological root causes of the problems facing the nation, particularly the violence and crimes across the country, are poverty, hunger, illiteracy, and economic and political deprivations arising from unemployment. Until these fundamentals are resolved, the country will continue to experience violence and crimes, and in complete state of insecurity, as no amount of police or military actions can prevent or even curb the menace. The federal Government must device a concrete means of seeking lasting solution by working with critical stakeholders particularly states, local Government areas and communities.
Securing the lives of Nigerians.
Any regime that fails to secure the safety of lives and property of its citizens has lost all moral and lawful rights to continue in office. The Buhari regime has utterly failed in this regard. Instead of providing strong and decisive leadership, the regime is now going about both destroying the solid foundation upon which the country stands and dislocating a building pillar of our society – i.e the traditional institution!
Governments insensitive Acts
Last week’s insensitive exclusion of the whole Southeast Zone and Edo State from the benefits of the whooping $22b loan and the unlawful deposition and banishment of Emir Mohammadu Sanusi II of Kano at a time when all hands are needed on deck to rescue our country are good examples of such destructive tendencies of the APC government displaying their insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians.
Corona virus, Soot pollution and lackluster Response to Disaster.
The Coronavirus ravaging the World has thrown up fresh challenges across the globe for leaders of nations. While we watch and admire leaders rise to the challenge elsewhere, the reverse is the case in our country. Nigerians are yet to hear or see their President rise to the emergency and those officers on duty have not enjoyed the needed political will. ( May be when it’s cuts up with us God forbid the President in his character would say he is not aware of the virus)
Also very outstanding is Nigeria government’s response to disaster as was experienced in weekend’s pipeline explosion in Lagos state ( may I crave your indulgence for a minute silence for souls of our beloved citizens who lost their lives)…. May their soul and those of the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen. Gentlemen of the press, the measure of blood letting in the country under the watch of this regime is that there is hardly any press conference we do that we do not observe some time for souls of our beloved ones. Very unfortunate our value for human lives.
Another disaster waiting to happen is the effect of black soot in the Niger Delta region with its attendant health hazard to the populace and no serious response is being given to it.
Our demands
Consequently, at this hour of peril to our country, PDP is calling upon President Buhari to wake up and give this nation a firm, purposeful, consultative and all-inclusive leadership. Our party is of firm conviction that our problems can be successfully resolved if there is a fair and effective leadership at the top. It is now time to give this leadership or give way to capable hands.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the point we are trying to underscore here very loudly is that this country is seating on a time bomb and we must not allow it to explode.
We in PDP have our genuine fears that this government and its managers lack the needed capacity to lift us out of the wood because we got into it abnitio due to their incapacity.
But that notwithstanding the regime should be sensitive to the plight of the suffering masses of the country by reviewing downwards various draconian policies like the various tax regimes especially the Value Added Tax VAT that affects every goods and services.
The government should avoid pouring fuel to an already burning inferno with their reckless and lawless attitude to human rights issues which worsens situation and exposes the country to further ridicule.
When you depose a traditional ruler and deprives him and his family of their fundamental human rights and in less than 24 hours the United Nation gives him an exalted appointment, it says a lot how you are rated globally.
Thank you for listening and God bless”
Prince Uche Secondus
National Chairman
