National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh speaks on achievements of the PDP led government in the last two years.
How would you assess President Goodluck Jonathan led administration in the last three years?
President Goodluck Jonathan has been doing very well, no president of this country has faced the kind of security challenges this administration is facing. It is as if it is a calculated attempt to distract and detract the president from his performance in office.
Notwithstanding this attempt, the president has been able to achieve a lot in office. We as a party have mentioned severally, that we think that the achievement of this administration is under-publicised. Because we believe from the score cards and the reports of the ministers, from the minister briefing that we have been having, we even in the leadership of the party are shocked and surprised.
Most importantly, we are 100% behind the president in entrenching democratic principles in the party, the body polity in the country. If you look at it, before the coming of the president, we did not have entrenchment of anti-corruption in our political process. We did not have rule of law in our political process. Today, we have one man one vote. We have a situation where people now line up and vote for anybody of their choice.
The president has been able to ensure that the democratic tenet of leadership and freedom of choice to vote for whomever you want, that we have been able to apply it and ensure that Nigerians are witnessing it for the first time. So on that particular side, we are happy with the president and we give him 100% in that.
On the issue of provision of infrastructure, we are happy with the efforts that are being made. What we are witnessing now, achievements being done on tarring and repairs of the roads, massive repairs and reconstruction of Nigerian roads, we are happy with it. We are also happy with what is happening in the agricultural sector. We are also happy with what is happening in the FCT. We are happy with the massive construction in the FCT, trying to lift our capital to be one of the best in the developing economies.
On the issue of power, there is no Nigerian that will say that there has not been some improvement in the power sector. Not as much as we would have hoped for, but there has been improvement. And overall, the president has done well. We often time wonder, what he would have achieved if there was no detraction of security challenges. What would this president have done if there was no Boko Haram, Nigerians would have been amazed. We would have been viewing signs and wonders. We are happy so far so good. We hope that the issue of insecurity will minimize for the president to excel as he has promised. But we thank God and we are happy that he has remained focused in trying to deliver the mandate that was given to him.
As a party is there reason to celebrate May 29?
As a political party, there is ample evidence and reason to celebrate May 29 Day based on the fact that the party has been able to keep an entrench democracy in Nigeria. And severally, PDP has been able to entrench democracy in the country. We have been able to show that we are fighting for the unity of this country and we prefer the unity of this country. We have shown that the party carters for all national interests in the country. We have been able to do that. There is cause to jubilate on democracy and be happy and to rejoice for the provision of infrastructure.
But going with the mood of the nation, the women have lost their husbands; the children have lost their fathers to this sectarian violence. It will be a bit inappropriate for our party to come and be rejoicing in the light of these things that are happening in the last few weeks and the last few months.
So our hearts reach out to Nigerians who have lost their loved ones, who have lost their husbands, their wives, their children, their fathers. We take the issue of this Democracy Day as a solemn occasion to reflect on the activities of some Nigerians who think that democracy is a license for violence; who think that democracy is license to enthrone anarchy. Those who think that democracy is a license to do anything you want. No, that is not democracy.
We plead and we preach that this Democracy Day, that let the spirit of democracy touch their hearts, let them understand that whatever grievance they have, whatever they want to promote, they can go to the ballot box and do that.
Delivering on promises
Let them go and vote for whomever they want. Whatever choice that they want, is not through the barrel of the gun.
As a party, what would you tell your members and the opposition?
Our members should remain focused, the president is working well. We are delivering on our promises and we will continue to deliver in spite of attempts to detract us, in spite of the heavy security challenges, we are delivering on our promises. To the opposition, we do hope that they can challenge us on issues, not on insults, not on propaganda, not of propagating falsehood to the entire nation. Let them challenge us on issues. That is our message on this democracy day to the opposition.
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