How will you access the political situation in the country presently, looking at the Kogi and Bayelsa states election sso far?
We are hanging somewhere in Bayelsa. Government has settled down and we are beginning to see a magnification of what the administration stands for and the direction its likely to travel in the next few weeks. You are aware that final touches are being put to a N6 trillion plus budget which will start the process of addressing the promises that the President has made to the Nigerian people. I’m very aware of the impatience dying out in the polity; we will continue to appeal on the basis of the fact that there are no magic wands, no magic solutions. The budget for next year is indeed the first opportunity of the administration to strike out in a direction that it has promised the people of this nation, and I have always had the opportunity of saying the difference will become clear in the next six months, that means, all issues would have been resolved. In another six months, the people of the nation will begin to see clearly that yes, we are on the road to addressing their urgent needs, the stresses that the total economy is going through now. The period of learning was most vital, most necessary I have said repeatedly that things turned out a lot worse than we expected, so it was necessary for the administration to first get to grips with realities on the ground before you start addressing the methodologies for bringing about the changes and the corrections in the system that have been promised to the Nigerian people. Critical is that the institutions of state must be rebuilt, must be revived because they have been largely undermined and destroyed and no economy, no society, no polity progresses without firmly based institutions which can deliver in respective of whatever government is in office. That is the direction in which this administration is travelling. Kogi is basically resolved, thank God in favor of the APC. Very unfortunate, very tragic events occurred. The entire polity had to be original to finding solutions to problems which detailed as the constitution is not envisaged and in the next few weeks depending on who goes to court or who doesn’t, we will know the boundaries of the law in respect of these issues. As at now we are very glad about the results that we have got and I’m very sure that they would uphold virtually in every tribunal whatsoever because we have adopted simple common sensual solution legally, dependably proceeding from the unfortunate situation we found ourselves in. Bayelsa State, we cannot but national minimum wage. It is either they cut it down or they retrench workers which go against the party manifesto of creating jobs.

There are also vacancies in the NWC, how soon will they be filled?
Arrangements are being made to go through the constitutional processes of filling those vacancies. That is already underway. Minimum wage is a delicate issue because there are a lot of forces at work. The economy was run aground so badly that they have to borrow to pay salaries and this was not the creation of APC. Today all governments are borrowing to pay salaries and that cannot be sustained. What the solution is on the longer term, the machinery of governance is still working on. There is no method that is adopted that will not create stresses on any system but at the end of the day, we will find an answer.

How is the party managing its successes and the issue of official spokesman?
It was a great loss of Lai Mohammed to the Executive but he’s still within the system. He was truly very special and unique but as we speak, the National Secretary of the party has largely on temporary basis taking up the job of communication to the press and myself, I’m always available to any enquiry. Managing success, yes there has been stress originating from the nature of the party itself but they are all part of the settling down of the party itself and we are resolving them eventually. The power structure and tussle in the party is normal and desirable and the earlier we sort out these issues and challenges within the party, the better it gets for the administration, so I will say it is good that within the first few months of our administration, that issues to be addressed are brought forward at the early stage of our government, in another few months, I believe all these issues will be put behind us and we will have a truly consolidated APC. How has the party taken the issue of TMG condemnation of Bayelsa governorship election and issues emanating from the Kogi Election? We are not worried, the Kogi situation is still evolving and we cross every bridge as we get to it.

We’ll wait and see who does what and work out answers that meet each situation?
We have thought the process through and we have won the election in Kogi, those who feel aggrieved, it is for them to call to question whatever they feel aggrieved about and we are going to meet them on those grounds. For us in APC, Kogi is a settled issue. On Bayelsa and TMG’s position, I’ll say we are far from being satisfied (with the conduct of the poll) but INEC has made a pronounce ment and you can’t get them to take it back unless you go to court, so we are waiting for the processes to be concluded but I must say we have a lot of reservations about what has gone on up to this present moment but we’ll wait till the processes are concluded, that is when we are going to decide what our next action will be. If we win as we expect to win, the kind of reactions that we’ll take will be different if the outcome goes the other way round.



Will Faleke be sanctioned for declaring independent candidature without consulting the party, and the proposed N5000 payment for vulnerable youths?
All I will say is that we should not jump the gun. There will obviously be a legal backing move, the difficulty involved have been worked on and what is important is that the scheme will start irrespective of whatever imperfection that may come with it. We’ll keep building on it as the months go on. It is not going to be a mere scheme where we pay people money and they go home and sleep, no, it is going to be tied to your employability to look for job and training so as to make it possible for you to be qualified for better employment opportunities. It is going to be a comprehensive package that will make sure that people are going out of the scheme and some new ones are coming in. As a political party, we simply understand the frustration that emanated from the death of Late Prince Abubakar Audu, however, it is normal for us to accommodate the immediate reactions coming from the people involved. They were at the gate of victory but was shut at their faces because of the unfortunate death of their mentor (Abubakar Audu) who would have been our governor in the state, so a lot of things which normally we would not have accepted happened but we have to accept them so long that everybody will calm down as time passes by. Wielding the big stick in a situation like this might not be appropriate but there will be a timeline to it, enough will be enough at a certain time.

What are your views about the resurrection of MASSOB, what is the involvement of APC?
What is the involvement of APC? Why would the APC feel any desire to be involved in any way whatsoever? Is MASSOB PDP? It was a clean clear security situation and no government worth its salt will watch any group whatsoever make life impossible for the rest of the society. The killings were most regrettable but even now, we don’t know who killed who. I think we should just pray that the situation will eventually resolve itself through the carrot and stick approach. The carrot is absolutely necessary and I pray that it will end up solving the problem.[b][/b]

Just few months we gave you ppl and MANY are dead den wat if we give you ppl a year....naim be sey 9ja don finish be dat

Buhari is a politician, not a magician

The depth / extent of corruption by so called leaders is appaling


root out the evil ones and see Nigeria soar high

First it was 3months then 31 December now a year next two years before we know it re-elect us .... Many are dying, economy is worse, unemployment on the rise prices of commodities high, which way Nigeria

DaBullIT:
Buhari is a politician, not a magician

The depth / extent of corruption by so called leaders is appaling


root out the evil ones and see Nigeria soar high

The evil ones that are to be rooted out are in APC the ruling party, OBJ, Atiku, Tinubu, Saraki, Rochas, Sylva etc.

So evidently Nigeria is sinking deeper with them.

luvinhubby:


The evil ones that are to be rooted out are in APC the ruling party, OBJ, Atiku, Tinubu, Saraki, Rochas, Sylva etc.

So evidently Nigeria is sinking deeper with them.

Those of them who had 16 years to probe and didn't had their choices made for them


Shikenna

no one year is too small for them i think they should be given 100years. Yeye apc.

Oyegun seems like an honest person. I hope they don't corrupt him

5 months remaining to complete one year, don't deny what u said when the time comes