POLICY SOMERSAULT: LABOUR PARTY FLAYS APC OVER POLICY DIALOGUE AND OIL SUBSIDY
The Labour Party has expressed doubt over the ability of the Incoming All Progressives Congress APC government to deliver on its campaign promises claiming that the recently held Policy Dialogue of the Party is nothing but a sheer display of a Policy Somersault.
It further warned that the President-elect and his party not to take Nigerians for granted as the people are very clear as to the type and depth of change they want and will not be taken in by any thoughtless excuse or attempt at cajoling them.
This is contained in a statement issued this weekend by the National Secretary of the Labour Party Barrister Kayode Ajulo.
According to the statement, “The recent Policy Dialogue organized by APC to discuss the implementation of the change they promised is further indication that these are people not prepared for governance. They had no strategy and sound methodology for effecting the change they promised. The campaign promises and manifesto were merely public relation gimmicks, in short, mere fraud, which no lavender words can moderate.
“As we have always maintained, the APC have shown themselves by this singular wrong and heartbreaking move on the eve of handover that they are merely “PDP re-packaged” and old wine-in-new skin which will soon rupture. They are like leopard trying to lose their spots in order to deceive the lamb. But reality is finding them out very early in the day even before they don the toga of office”, Ajulo noted.
Stressing further on the Policy Dialogue, Ajulo stated that “It is interesting that APC had to go and import a former leader of Britain, Mister Tony Blair, as speaker at the occasion whereas there are many other credible and pro-people leaders around the world and even in Africa. If APC had invited Bill Clinton, we would have agreed they meant well for the ordinary people; if they had invited Jerry Rawlings, we would have agreed they wanted real change, Festus Mogae of Botwana and Paul Kagame of Rwanda also are example of African leader that have distinguished themselves as change agents but inviting Tony Blair cut the picture of an APC that wants to make life difficult for the people.
“Tony Blair as Prime Minister did not advance the cause of ordinary people both at home and abroad. He was one of the inglorious architects of the Iraqi war and a failure in Afghanistan. The fortune of his party plummeted in Britain as a result of his onslaught on the people’s standard of living to such and extent that years after he was voted out his party is yet to recover.
“It is most unbecoming for Tony Blair to insist that Buhari must take painful decision that will make life difficult for the people in his first hundred days in office. And what is more, that he must remove fuel subsidy. This is a direct attack on the working class and downtrodden in the society.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Nigerians did not vote for hardship. Nigerians voted for change. Change means better standards in all its ramifications and dimensions, including adequate fuel supply, power, education, health, social amenities and, of course, human dignity. So if APC is not ready, it is not too early apologise to Nigerians and abdicate office.
“It is preposterous and most unacceptable that the same APC members that teamed up with civil society organizations and the labour movement to march the street for anti-fuel subsidy protest in 2012 is now entertaining suggestion to remove subsidy. They know what to do: deal decisively with the cabal. But obviously will not do that, because PDP re-packaged (APC) is part of the cabal.”
Barr. Kayode Ajulo also wonders what becomes of the initial studies APC claimed to have conducted on the critical needs of Nigerians upon which they developed the manifesto they used the 2015 election campaigns.
“The new proposed policy of APC as presented and highlighted in the dialogue also runs contrary to the spirit and content of the APC manifesto which was used to hoodwink Nigerians for votes.”
“On our part as a party, we want to assure Nigerians that we are watching events as they unfold and will always be there to play our party in the opposition to all anti-people policies at all levels. The people cannot be taken for granted forever.”
Kayode Ajulo
National Secretary, Labour Party.