The Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr Osita Okechukwu, has expressed optimism that banditry, herdsmen/farmers clashes, kidnapping and insurgency will sooner than later not only abate but vanish.
Okechukwu, in a statement issued Sunday, admitted that some unforced errors were made but flayed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for picking holes in the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to embrace continuity.
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The chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said he was “miffed” to hear the PDP, a principal beneficiary of President Buhari’s regime continuity trademark dismissing off-hand the continuity he promised on his return from a medical check-up.
“For us Buharist, we must candidly agree that some unforced errors were made; however, our continuity trademarks in many spheres of public affairs are unbeatable. And PDP is the main beneficiary. To turn round now to clean mouth and condemn Mr President is unconscionable and height of ingratitude
“Among the fine points of continuity, which Mr President bequeathed the PDP as a principal beneficiary is the over 1,000 board appointments, which tenure was not concluded. In 1999, PDP sacked all Board members and made humongous appointments of their members.
“On this issue, opinion was divided, some of us canvased that Mr President should dissolve all the boards to make room for APC members and supporters and Buhari said an emphatic no. These PDP Board appointees were not only beneficiaries but more or less adulterated our transparency manifesto.
“Point two, all the federal contracts, most remarkable is over 1,000 federal roads. In this instance once more opinion was divided some argued that the contracts should be revoked and awarded fresh as contracts, Mr President said an emphatic no.
“In 1999, PDP revoked nearly all Petroleum Trust Fund ongoing contracts and made a bazaar of the exercise. One of the casualties was Enugu Urban Water Scheme; which was callously awarded to Chinese instead of Strabag of Germany, which designed the project. It failed and today scarcity of water in Enugu is the outcome.”
