Two term governor of Ogun state and National leader of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has implored well-meaning Nigerians to join hands with the visions and aspirations of the presidential flag bearer of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in his quest to save what is left of the country’s crumbled economy come 2019.
He made this known at the 22nd City People Anniversary Lecture on Saturday, November 24, 2018 at the medium’s corporate office in Gbagada, Lagos.
In the text delivered by the resolute and articulate crusader, Otunba Gbenga Daniel highlights the perspective and direction of Project Nigeria, as the template for action to save the country from the clutches of decay
Read Excerpts..
Project Nigeria: The Atiku Abubakar Perspective and the Road to 2019
The main thing is to make history, not to write it.
– Otto von Bismarck
21. What we have therefore been searching for over the years is to find Nigeria as a Nation; what are those things that unite us? How can we live together, sharing all our differences in culture and perspectives and deriving strength from this diversity. It is only if we are able to do this that Nigeria as a practicable “idea” could be realised, not as of Convenience, or administrative units. This is the Project Nigeria which I am proud to report to you today is the whole essence of the Atiku Abubakar’s quest to serve Nigeria is all about.
22. Ideas are all about creativity, not as keys in a hole, not as round pegs in round holes, it is only when we are able to find, develop ways of gaining entry without putting the keys already design for a hole; or when we can get the square pegs in a round hole without necessarily altering the natural order that we can say we have been creative. That is the whole essence of restructuring.
23. Restructuring is about closing the protocol lines of relationships among the Constituent states to create Economic prosperity for all.
The Atiku Abubakar Economic Development Agenda
seeks:
* to create a sound, stable and globally competitive economy that is diversified with a mix of output from a ‘technologically-enabled agriculture’, a ‘vibrant and globally competitive manufacturing sector’ and a modern services sector. The economy will be supported by adequate and efficient economic infrastructure as well as investments in the New Economy.
* to broaden Nigeria’s resource horizon, maintain spending efficiency and reform internal revenue generating machinery. Economic growth is envisaged to be all
inclusive, accompanied by increased employment and reduced poverty levels as well as a greatly enlarged and much more effective system of education, training and health.
The major planks of the economic development strategy can be summarized
as follows:
a. A firm commitment to the promotion of a private sector-driven, competitive and open economy supported by efficiently run public institutions.
b. Promoting economic diversification and linkages between agriculture, industry and micro and small enterprises all three of
which have great prospects for employment generation and poverty reduction. The focus on these sectors is intended to achieve significant progress in economic diversification and encourage industrialization by strengthening the linkages between the three.
c. Improving productivity of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and achieving significant transformation of primary produce into processed and manufactured goods for exports.
d. Reduction in infrastructure deficit to support the full mobilization of the economic sectors and to enhance the ‘carrying capacity’ of the economy.
e. Promoting social development by investing in human capital development to improve access to qualitative basic public services, notably education and health, and enhance the nation’s prospects for achieving the SDGs.
f. Reforming public institutions to engender efficiency in service delivery as well as deepen transparency, accountability and rule of law.
24. I thank you most sincerely for listening.
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