By Our orrespondence
Chief Bestman Festus, the National President of Peoples Equality Congress (PEC), a strong political association with millions of members across the country and overseas has stated that any Nigerian working against the immediate restructuring of the country is not a patriot.
Chief Festus made the remark while fielding questions from newsmen in Yenagao, the capital of Bayelsa state. He said that PEC’s membership believe in social equality, economic freedom and environmental justice for all Nigerians. He further said that the group is expanding geometrically in numbers everyday because of its sensitization of the grassroots on the need to restructure Nigeria so that the ‘yoke of unitary federalism imposed by military dictatorship since 19666 that hampers development would be broken permanently to give way to rapid socio economic development of the entire country.
Reacting to a question on whether Nigeria should be restructured or not, Chief Festus said that restructuring is the only panacea to the myriad of problems facing the country such as youth unemployment, insecurity due to high crime wave, unacceptable poverty indices and underdevelopment, unabated herdsmen killings and ethno-religious distrust. He therefore declared that ‘any Nigerian opposed to restructuring Nigeria is not a patriot’. He charged Nigerian electorates to ‘vote out such unpatriotic elements from office because opposition to restructuring suggests lack knowledge of the historical evolution of Nigeria. He stated categorically that Nigeria became an independent state as highlighted in its 1st October, 1960 National Anthem due to the hard work and patriotic efforts of leaders such as Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sir Tafawa Bellewa, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Pa Dapapriye, Chief Enarho and others who negotiated the foundation, status and conditions for a peaceful and prosperous country through series of constitutional conferences that held in the 1950s. He therefore wondered why anyone opposed to the founding ideologies of such great nationalists and patriarchs should be allowed to lead Nigeria.
Chief Festus further posited that only restructuring of the country in line with the fundamental principles of the 1960 independence Constitution and the 1963 Republican Constitution that guaranteed state police, 70% revenue derivation including mineral oil and other resources, creation of state police that was directly under the control of the Inspector General of Police but allowed federating units to import arms for the protection of their citizens and a near perfect independence of the electoral empire through the nomination of members by all regions of Nigeria.
Reacting to the massive turnout of voluntary supporters of Atiku at the PDP Secretariat during the submission of his presidential nomination form on Thursday, Chief Festus said that Atiku who is the foremost advocate of Restructuring and a frontline PDP Presidential aspirant has won the hearts of over 80% of the Nigerian voting population and asserted that the APC should get ready to handover to Atiku next year in an election that they have already lost today due to poor socio-economic indices since 2015, lack of capacity to bridge ethno-religious gaps, heightened insecurity, maladministration, incompetence and especially for jettisoning restructuring .
On Police and DSS intimidation, Festus lamented that APC that enjoyed a peaceful transition from the goodwill of the Goodluck Jonathan led PDP administration has shown consistently that it is intolerant of opposition. He went on memory lane recall the Kwakwanso's declaration saga, the insensitivity in conducting an ill-intended search on the residence of the 92 year old Pa Edwin Clark that could potentially lead to crisis in the Niger /Delta, the attack on Senate President Bukola Sarki, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and many other cases. "APC must be randomly condemned by all lovers of Nigeria and democracy'. He called on all Nigerians to collect their PVCs, no matter the time sacrificed at the collection point. According to Festus, the socio economic freedom of Nigerians in the next fours years is guaranteed in the Atiku presidency next year.
No comments:
Post a Comment