By Abdullahi Mohammed
National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress,Chief Odigie Oyegun has urged the members of House of Representatives elect voted on the platform of the party to see themselves as agents of change.
He made this remark on Tuesday during at a retreat for the members elect at Rockview Hotel, Wuse ll Abuja.
” You are the agents of change of this administration”,Oyegun said adding”you have the ability to face the great challenges that our country is facing .”
Oyegun’s written statement to the members elect said ,“I have no doubt in my mind that the coming days will be rough and tough choices will have to be made. This is not intended to scare but rather to frame the magnitude of the challenge that confronts us. This is because to reposition our country for growth and development hard choices concerning the way we managed our business in the past and our attitude to public assets have to be undertaken.
“Upon assumption of office, our government will be expected to raise about 4.1 trillion Naira to pay accumulated arrears of salaries at Federal and State levels, oil subsidy debts, costs of debt servicing and other sundry indebtedness incurred by the outgoing administration. When this is weighed against the massive depletion of national savings like the excess crude account (ECA), additional huge debt of about 60 billion United States dollars and the sharp fall in crude oil prices in the international market, one can begin to contextualise the magnitude of problems that confront the incoming administration. This has not taken into account huge amount of funds lost to crude oil theft on an ongoing basis through negligence and in some cases officially sanctioned corruption. Yet our people expect massive investment in infrastructure, public works to create jobs and cash transfer reliefs to ameliorate the harsh economic environment.
“As I said in a similar forum to our Governors-elect, we must begin to demonstrate in the little things that we do, that ‘Change’ has come. Our populace will begin to notice that ‘Change’ is upon us when they notice from our personal life style and conduct a strong dislike for ostentation, an abhorrence of waste and zero tolerance for corruption. There is therefore an urgent and pressing need for fundamental reorientation of our attitudes and value system.
“This is the soft side of the national change agenda that will be pursued with relentless vigour when the fight against corruption and indiscipline by your incoming administration commences. Legislative action and the moral force of your personal example will be needed to underscore the seriousness and urgency of the moral reform agenda.
“You, our Representatives-elect acting with your colleagues in the Senate, will be called upon to take unusual actions to address the extraordinary challenges that confront our nation. Our new administration will need the support and cooperation of the 8th National Assembly to fulfil its campaign promise to Nigerians.
“You may be required to pass important bills at very short notices. There will be unprecedented demands on you, but as members of the same party with the President and having campaigned on a common manifesto, your buy-in to the programmes of the President and the Party is assumed. There is therefore an assured willingness to work with him and the party for the benefit of all Nigerians. The demands on you will be tasking, but you are up to the task!
“You must feel encouraged that in this worthy endeavour of stabilising and rebuilding our country, your task is made easier because we have the majority, though we would prefer a bi-partisan approach. More than the legislative majority is the abundant good will of our teeming population who are ready for change and will support us if they can discern that we are working for their best interest.
“So history beckons on you to stand up for our nation, as in the words of our national anthem, ‘Arise O Compatriots Nigeria’s call obey, to serve our fatherland, with love and strength and faith’.
“Honourable Members-elect, I am confident that because all of us , the executive, legislature and the party share in the common vision of ‘ Change’, the synergy of our common effort will make the burden of performance lighter. Let each one of us do its bit to the best of our ability in our shared endeavour of delivering the handsome dividend of ‘change’ to our long suffering citizens.
Also, Senator George Akume the senate minority leader of the upper chamber who spoke at the event on Tuesday expressed his displeasure about the imbalance and discrimination where the interesst of the minority groups are not protected . He highlighted the need for balancing in political appointments.
