"You’re confused, PDP replies Soludo over attack on Jonathan,
THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has reacted to an article by a former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Professor Chukwuma Soludo, in which he insinuated, among other things, that the party was angling for change and power for the sake of it.
Reacting through the Head of the Policy, Research and Strategy Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign, Dr Kayode Fayemi, the APC said it was “determined to lead Nigeria in the direction of change that is so urgently required,” noting that the party was on an “immediate rescue mission in 2015.”
Dr Fayemi, who is the immediate past governor of Ekiti State, while commending Professor Soludo for “his insightful and incisive article,” said “we agree with Professor Soludo that if the political parties, including ours, must justify the overwhelming enthusiasm of Nigerians about the 2015 elections, we must remain focused on the issues that matter most to them, which is the progress of our country and the well-being of our people.”
He, however, declared that “this has been the driving conviction of our party and our campaign all along,” pointing out that “even as we prepare for the immediate rescue mission in 2015, our minds are also set on building the necessary democratic institutions that would entrench our ideological conviction as a progressive and people-centred party.”
Fayemi said “a National Progressives Policy Institute is part of this plan in the near future, but we are very clear about the enormity of the task ahead. We would not seek to under play it. We are supremely confident that we are equal to the task and we appreciate the commitment of majority of Nigerians to this quest for change.”
He insisted that “the APC presents a real option to Nigerians,” saying “Professor Soludo expressed the sentiments of most Nigerians, when he spoke about the incalculable damage that the PDP under President Jonathan had done to the Nigerian economy and the unprecedented hardship that his six years of the locust had brought upon Nigerians.”
He clarified, however, that “the APC does not intend to ride into power on a mere rhetoric of ‘change’,” saying “the change we propose is fundamental in many ways, as it is critical to the very survival of our country.”
Fayemi noted that “the most compelling argument against the PDP today is that its government and leadership does not even see that Nigeria is in trouble” and contended that “while majority of our people wallow in abject poverty and the gap in inequality getting ever wider by the day, the PDP has basked in self-celebration of imagined accomplishments.”
He said: “How can a party or a government even begin to solve a problem that it does not believe exist? Like in all things, PDP is stuck in denial.
“APC does not promise Eldorado. Neither our candidate nor our manifesto has made such promise. Our programmes are based on the critical awareness of the difficult task ahead, while holding out a ray of hope to our people. The promises that we make reflect our innermost belief that the people must be at the centre of development.”
On his party’s ability to achieve its objectives, Fayemi said: “Going by the government’s own statistics, is it mere coincidence that the three states with the lowest unemployment rate - Osun, Lagos and Kwara - are all APC states? This is evidence of our party’s ability to tackle this problem head-on.
“APC’s policy thrust will create an enabling environment and incentives for the formal and informal sectors to lead the quest for job creation. This will be done in addition to skills acquisition and enterprise- training to ensure our youths are equipped with the appropriate skills to take these jobs.
“Merely introducing a national qualification standards would power a whole new world of opportunities for our artisans by launching them into the international job markets. We note the issue that Professor Soludo picked with our figure of 720,000 jobs. We need to clarify that this is limited to immediate direct.”
You’re confused, PDP replies Soludo over attack on Jonathan,
THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation has responded to former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Professor Charles Soludo’s criticism of the way President Goodluck Jonathan has handled the nation’s economy, saying that the former CBN boss is confused and conflicted.
In a statement made available to the media in Abuja, the Director of Publicity of the campaign organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, reminded Soludo that the Nigerian economy became the largest in Africa under the guidance of Jonathan.
He said nobody in his right senses should have any problem with the country being designated Africa’s largest economy, adding that Soludo had become confused because he had associated for too long with the opposition.
Fani-Kayode said: “I read Soludo’s contribution to the debate with amusement. I will be gentle with him, because I have a soft spot for him. He has criticised the president, his government and his handling of the economy.
“Meanwhile, Nigeria has just won the prestigious award of the largest economy in Africa and this has happened under the watch of President Jonathan and no-one else.
“Should any right-thinking person, who has the nation’s interest at heart be complaining about that?
“Needless to say my friend and brother Soludo is confused and conflicted. He seems to have lost touch with reality and this is what often happens when you spend too much time with the Buharists.
“The truth is that Soludo is far too educated, civilised and advanced to be in the opposition. He belongs to the modern age and not the dark ages. I pray that sooner than later, he will realise this as he sees the light.
“One thousand Muhammadu Buharis cannot match one Goodluck Jonathan in terms of tolerance, compassion, performance or output. Buhari cannot even begin to understand the complex nature of the economy or the immense problems we are facing in this country, while Jonathan not only understands them, but is also making gallant efforts at solving them.
“I respect Soludo immensely, but I believe he got it quite wrong here. He is in error and he needs to sit up, reconsider his views and review his unsavoury and disrespectful contribution.
“To say that the president should not run in this election and that he should throw in the towel is absurd and self-depreciating. It is a manifestation of the morbid fear of failure and defeat that the leaders of the opposition are all suffering from.
“Whether Soludo and his friends like it or not, not only will President Jonathan run in this election, he will also win and do so convincingly.”
Source: #Tribune News.
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