APC’s National Convention Holds In May
By Adetokunbo Fakeye
All Progressives Congress, APC, has fixed May 24 for its first National Convention.
The party has also confirmed that its Ward Congresses will hold on April 5, Local Government Congress on the April 12, and State Congress on April 23.
These dates were announced in a communiqué issued after the 9th meeting of the party’s Interim National Executive Committee, NEC, which was held at its National Secretariat Abuja yesterday(Tuesday).
In the communiqué, the party’s interim NEC commiserated with the families of the people who died on Saturday at several venues of the Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS recruitment exercise.
It also extended its sympathy and prayers to those who were injured in the stampede, and wished them a speedy recovery.
“The needless deaths of our youth, which resulted from a combination of exploitation, corruption, greed and incompetence of the relevant authorities, represent a needless violation of their right to life and dignity. Out of sheer greed, 1,000 Naira each was collected from the over 770,000 unemployed applicants shortlisted,” the statement read.
The opposition party also stated in the communique that the Federal Government under the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had used the employment exercise to fleece unemployed youth and their parents of N776 million using a consultant as conduit, adding that, the candidates were only made to suffer as the slots had already been allocated.
“Even then, the available vacancies of about 4,500 have already been filled through the back door by over 3,000 candidates of PDP Apparatchik and government officials.
“the pervasive corruption and incompetence that have become the hallmarks of the Jonathan Administration paved the way for this unprecedented greed in which hapless job seekers were extorted by the same government that has failed to provide jobs for them.
“Yet, this government has no social security or any form of safety net for the vulnerable army of the unemployed.”
The party reiterated its earlier position that the government under president Jonathan encourages corruption.
“It should be made clear that this government encourages and baby sits corruption stealing not only from the Pension fund of Nigerian citizens, but also from the unemployed and from our collective patrimony, the NNPC,” it said.
Further in the communique, the party said, after presiding over a wasteful centenary celebration, Mr. Jonathan has been “gallivanting around the country, addressing political rallies when he should be commiserating with families of the dead in the affected states, especially Yobe where innocent children were massacred by a cowardly band of terrorists, and Katsina which he visited a few hours after hundreds of people were killed”.
On plot to remove APC Governors the party said, it has information that the imposition of a total state of emergency is being considered for Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, which, it claims, is a smoke screen to remove the democratically-elected Governors of those APC controlled states.
“We condemn this move unequivocally and urge the President to jettison the idea, if indeed it is being remotely contemplated, because it will not advance the cause of peace in the affected states,” the party said.
On the issue of Sanusi, the party said: “Sanusi’s suspension is an affront to law and a threat to Nigeria’s institutional stability,” it said.
“This is also a government of double standard. Why is the Minister of Petroleum, Deziani, still in office when the major agency she superintendents is under investigation over the missing $20 billion?”
The communique said further that, the only salvation for Nigeria is a purposeful and focused party like the APC.
“From the Road-map which we unveiled recently, it is clear that we recognize the enormity of the challenges facing our dear country, hence we made job creation our priority, followed by security and the fight against corruption, among others.
“We urge our compatriots not to despair or give up hope, because salvation is in the horizon. The APC today embodies the hopes and aspirations of our long-suffering people. We have no doubt that this country can and will work again, and we are up to the task of restoring hope to our beleaguered people,” it said.
The Interim NEC meeting was attended by members of the party’s Interim National leadership led by Bisi Akande, as well as, Governors Rotimi Amaech, Rochas Okorocha, and Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State. National leaders of the party present include Bola Tinubu, Muhammadu Buhari, Ali Sheriif, Ogbonnoya Onu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Olusegun Osoba, as well as Senators Bukola Saraki, Danjuma Goje.