A Second Republic Senator and Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Jibril Walid has given an insight on how the major opposition party, PDP will send the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) packing from the nation’s seat of power in 2023 general elections.

Fielding questions at the weekend by the sideline of a wedding reception of the son of the national president of Textiles workers union, Comrade John Adaji, the BOT chairman said with the rate of insecurity in the country and determination of PDP to find solutions to it, many Nigerians will abandon APC.

Speaking also by the sideline to commemorate African Industrialisation Day, as recognised by the United Nations to re-industrialise Africa, the National President, National Union of Textiles, Garments and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), Comrade John Adaji said, “We need government that is committed to industrialisation of Nigeria.”

Senator Walid also said that when PDP finally produce its presidential candidate and the zone is known, APC would have no option than to pack out of government.

“We in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are very careful and hopeful about achievements and industrial development of Nigeria. We met and agreed that the national chairman of our great party should come from the north central. And that one had been achieved. Other arrangements are on the way. We are going to decide soon where our presidential candidate will come from.

“The next government which I hope is going to be the PDP government will look at the issue of insecurity and find lasting solution to it and bring back the country to a state of peaceful coexistence and free movement.

“With the present insecurity in the country, every common man and woman knows that Nigeria is in a big problem under the current government. Nigeria is in a state of disarray. But a good political party and a good government can solve this problem of insecurity.

“Let me tell you that traveling by road is now dangerous, traveling by train is also dangerous. And those who have the money travel by air. But the common man cannot travel by air. Anywhere you go today, you are not safe.

“The industrial development in Nigeria is not going well because government policy is not consistent over the years. If government policy is consistent, Nigeria wouldn’t have been where it is today. Every policy needs to be consistent for a period of five years running. But changing policy soon after implementation by successive government is not good for industrial development of the country. If Nigeria must be re-industrialised, government policy on manufacturing sector must be consistent to stand the test of time,” Walid said.

For Comrade Adaji, Nigerians have been subjected to lamentations over comatose industries in the country, while the nation’s leaders showed little or no political will to re-industrialise the country.

“In those days of our great leaders like Ahmadu Bello, Nnamdi Azikiwe and Obafemi Awolowo, among others, there was competition over industrialisation of the North, the West and the Eastern zones. But today we are just into lamentations over comatose industries in the country.

“In the 70s and 80s when the population of Nigeria was much more less than what we have now, there were several industries everywhere in the country. But today we are over 200 million people, we cannot boast of functional industries that should triple that of the early 70s.

“It is lamentation because every successive government proved wrong in improving the situation. There was no policy consistent to transform the manufacturing sector. The implication of these comatose industries is the insecurity we are witnessing today because one thing leads to another. It has also led to massive youths unemployment.

“One of the solutions to this ugly situation is that our leaders should develop political Will to solve these socio-economic problems. We have the man power and the population to transform the manufacturing sector” Adaji said.

(Daily Sun)

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