APC and the POLITICS OF IDEOLOGY

    APC and the POLITICS OF IDEOLOGY.

By ------Abdulhamid A. Ibrahim

What has been playing out in Nigeria’s political scene is yet to be the ideal political culture where political parties are known for specific and clear cut ideologies/ principles. The party that gives a direction as regards what it believes and hopes to establish as an ideological path is the ruling All Progressive Congress.

Why is the above assertion so? For 16 years of PDP rule, you would not point out a single ideology that was nurtured to fruition-be it a social welfare scheme or a public utility scheme. Most of the schemes meant to touch the lives of the generality were not followed up even though they were launched. The only major policy that thrived was that of privatization of most public utilities.

But today, we can say that Nigerians know what to expect from the ruling government. That is the ongoing awareness on `Nigeria First’ which has given rise to massive project and infrastructural re-awakening. Among the

Ø  the agricultural revolution which has pitched Nigeria as the highest producer of rice in Africa;

Ø  the housing project for the common man;

Ø  the Social Investment Scheme which undertakes the N5,000 stipend to the very poor and aged, the interest free , business loan for small scale sellers and entrepreneurs without collateral;

Ø  the rail revolution;

Ø  the rehabilitation and dualisation of major highways across the country;

Ø  the inland port project at Baro;

Ø  the Mambilla Power Plant;

Ø  the resuscitation of the Ajaokuta Steel Complex;

Ø  the TSA account which has helped government agencies like the customs, GIRS, JAMB etc to raise whooping sums as income generated;

Ø  the spirit of probity and accountability where ministries refunded un-expended budgetary allocations to the Federation Account at the end of budget years;

Ø  the 2nd Niger Bridge;

Ø  the Bill on the Ease of Doing Business;

Ø  the return of the nation’s airline ‘Nigeria Air’ and the payment of the workers;

Ø  the return of the loot;

Ø  the sanitization of the nation’s work force through the discovery and rooting out of ghost workers in the civil service;

Ø  tackling of security challenges and bringing insurgency to a decimated low level;

Ø  the free school feeding programme;

Ø  the N-Power and skill acquisition programme;

Ø  the freedom to agencies like the EFCC, ICPC, CCT to carry out their constitutional duties without interference;

Ø  the departure from the days of Ghana-Must-Go at NASS to lobby the passage of bills;

Ø  the encouragement of lthe production and consumption of ;Made in Nigeria products and above all

Ø  the building of trust and confidence by the outside world in the country.

For all these and many more masses-oriented developments, one will agree that the APC is the best option for now.

God Bless  Nigeria.