Every campaign should be based on issues. #ANigeriaForAll is issue based, backed by a draft policy for solving Nigeria's problems.

Read the draft policy here

PRESS BRIEFING BY ATIKU ABUBAKAR, GCON ON ATIKU POLICY POSITION, 13/10/2014

I am aware that you gentlemen of the Press constitute a critical partner of our efforts to establish the APC as an enduring alternative political platform where a sustainable legitimacy will be realised.

The Party, APC is envisaged by its founding fathers to develop Internal Capacity to provide this nation with a leadership that will be committed to the public purpose and whose choice will be informed by the common good
and the popular will of all Nigerians.

My Declaration on the 24th of October, 2014 to present myself to Nigerians and seek nomination of the APC as its Flag bearer in the 2015 Presidential Election was our first major outing.

We are grateful to those of you who in
one way or the other participated in that Declaration Event.

It was our deliberate strategy to make the event an Interactive Session with the youths.

We had made it clear to the Leadership of the Party that the event was not going to be a rally or a campaign.

We chose the Shehu Musa Yarádua Centre, a compact but historical venue for the event. We limited the crowd as much as we could because of the intended nature of the event.

We were however glad that the
Party’s National Working Committee sent a Delegation led by the National Secretary of the Party to witness the occasion. We wish to apologise to those who through letters and phone calls indicated their willingness to come but were excused.

We express our sincere gratitude to over 30 Youth Groups that participated in the event. Because of their contributions, they were truly
the “Instrument of Change” and it was clear that it was their future that was at stake.

Their submissions in respect of their pains, needs and wants constitute a major input in our Draft Policy Document.

The purpose of this Press Conference is to announce that we will be hosting a Policy Review Summit on the 27th of October, 2014 at the Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta.

The Summit will host a panellist of
experts who will fine-tune the Elemental Details of the Atiku 2015 Policy Document.

The Draft Policy to be reviewed was drawn up within the context of the Manifesto of our Party, the APC.

This document provides an overview of our Policy Position.

The main thrust is the explicit bid to modify the way the machinery of Federal Government works by:

» Clarifying and streamlining MDAs remits and responsibilities, removing overlaps and operational redundancies

» Systematically devolving and delegating operational responsibilities to states and local governments, and private sector organisations (commercial and charitable)

» Addressing habits and practices that currently compromise policy implementation

» Enshrining good governance as the hallmark of his administration and

»Eventually ensuring that solutions can be implemented, monitored and evaluated.

The Key Policy Areas are:

1. Employment Generation & Wealth
Creation

2. Infrastructure & Power

3. Education & Skills Acquisition

4. Security

5. Citizenship and Governance

6. Agriculture & Food Security

7. Niger Delta & North East Re integration

1. EMPLOYMENT GENERATION AND
WEALTH CREATION

POLICY PROPOSITION :

A. Embark on a direct intervention
through Public Works Programmes

B. Support Productive Job creation
initiatives by public and private sector

C. Narrow Skills Gap in the labour
market

D. Foster Women Empowerment and address the Gender-Gap job opportunities

E. Encourage and Promote Entrepreneurship amongst the youth

F. Promote local ownership of job
creation initiatives

G. Discouraging Nepotism in jobs placement

H. Propose amendments to all legislations hampering effective job creation and review employment laws including labour-market deregulations.

I. Encouraging Venture Capital and Private Equity investors to invest in local startups.

J. Drawing up a new deal with Micro Household Enterprises

K. Enhancing the security of (commercial) contracts

L. Establishing an independent Competition and Anti-Trust Authority

M. Helping Accelerate Start up Incubation times

N. Introducing Business Impact Assessments

O. Encouraging and rewarding formalization of Micro Household Enterprises

P. Ensuring that Public Procurement Rules benefit capable SMEs

Q. Promote and Facilitate non-oil exports and

R. Facilitate the creation of business clusters

S. Increased support for the informal sector

T. Encourage and reward banks that lend to small and mid-sized businesses.

2. INFRASTRUCTURE AND POWER

POLICY PROPOSITION :

A. Creating a Sustainable Delivery System to address the dearth of Infrastructure

B. Aggressively increasing the power
generation, distribution and transmi
capacities of the sector by strengthe
the Gencos, Discos and Transco.

C. Creating Sustainable Funding Structure to drive Infrastructure and Power development

D. Leveraging Private Investment in Power generation capacity

E. Co-fund PWPs that help federal, state and local authorities build and maintain infrastructure

F. Invest in local government capacity
develop and expand infrastructural
provision

G. Review the federation account and
restructure government finances to
infrastructure development

H. Encourage infrastructure maintenance initiatives

I. Reward private efforts to maintain a
upgrade basic infrastructure.

3. EDUCATION & SKILLS ACQUISITION

POLICY PROPOSITION :

A. Raising Educational Standards across our schools

B. Boosting Educational Achievements in our Primary and Secondary Schools

C. Encouraging and rewarding private sector to narrow skills gaps and widen participation in educational provision

D. Encouraging businesses to lead
vocational training efforts

E. Encouraging business to re-train unskilled workers

F. Rewarding households that keep children in the school system

G. Encouraging the re-training of public service workers

H. Improving the structure and curriculum of our educational system to make it more relevant to labour market needs.

I. Publishing league table of performances at all levels of education

4. SECURITY

POLICY PROPOSITION :

A. Increasing the visibility of security around the country

B. Improving access to security services

C. Improve Police-Community relationship

E. Aggressively combating the scourge Terrorism and Insurgency by increasing resources and better co-ordination of the security agencies

F. Replace the Security Adviser with a
Security Council

G. Improve Civil-military relations

H. Improve and Guaranty Rapid Emergency Response

I. Clarify LGA/State boundaries to prevent and defuse inter-communal conflicts

J. Improve border security

K. Total overhaul of national security
structure.

5. CITIZENSHIP AND GOVERNANCE

POLICY PROPOSITION :

A. Offer public service users information, voice, and choice

B. Leverage federal transfers/devolution and expand basic service provision

C. Benchmark (federal) government
performance transparency and
accountability

D. Invest in local government capacity
accountability

E. Strengthen corporate governance

F. Establishing a link between Representative Governance and Taxation

G. Ensuring a deeper appreciation of
citizenship to all Nigerians

H. Ensure Participation and Equal Opportunity for all

I. Cultivating appropriate environment
for unity and sense of belonging

J. Improving Public Sector Service Deli

K. Improving Policy Formulation and
Implementation

L. Promoting a zero tolerance attitude to corruption.

6. AGRICULTURE & FOOD SECURITY

POLICY PROPOSITION:

A. Address the Land Use Act to improve small scale-farmers’ access to land

B. Offer broad based support infrastructure to farmers and small Agribusinesses

C. Helping farmers and Agribusinesses to Agglomerate and Manage Risk

D. Helping farmers and Agribusinesses increase their Output

E. Helping farmers and Agribusinesses
Reduce their Operational Costs:

F. Helping farmers increase Farming
Productivity

G. Establishing an Agricultural Fund and reinvigorate the Agric Bank of Nigeria.

H. Reintroducing previous viable and
sustainable agricultural programme
emphasis of rural infra structural
development, such as National Agric
Land Development Authority (NALD
and elements of the DFRRI.

7. NIGER DELTA & NORTH EAST RE-
INTEGRATION

POLICY PROPOSITION : The following initiatives will be launched to address the security and economic decline and foster socio-economic reintegration of the regions:

A. A Niger-Delta Continuous Development Agenda

B. A Niger-Delta Social Awareness program

C. A Niger-Delta Reform Agenda

D. North-East Comprehensive Economic and Infrastructure reintegration program

E. North-East Security Master Plan and;

F. North-East Social Reintegration initiative

These Policy details are to be finalized in the Summit with the emphasis that Policy Implementation will be based on a system that:

» Judiciously allocates responsibilities and resources to the States and Local
Governments

» Promote collaborative understanding and commitment of all tiers of Government regardless of Party affiliations in a truly federal spirit with the active participation by Private Investors and Development
Partners.

A date for the Unveiling of the Policy will be announced later.

We invite the Press to work with us and let the CHANGE begin!

Thank you.

#ANigeriaForAll.

Twitter via @atiku
Website: www.atiku.org