₦airaland Forum

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Presidential Canddate, PDP.

Atiku will debut his campaign on Monday afternoon (Nigerian Time) via a Facebook broadcast hosted on https://www.facebook.com/Atikuabubakarcampaignorganization/. Shortly afterwards a downloadable free copy of Atiku's Policy for Governance will be available at http://atiku.org/.

Atiku is not running as a candidate of PDP. What this means is on Feb 16th when you enter the polling booth to vote Atiku Abubakar's name will not be on ballot, rather PDP and its umbrella will be one of the choices on ballot. Those who will vote for Atiku will either thumb-print or finger-print for PDP. PDP has its own agenda for governance and is on its web site. Atiku's projection of a personal and parallel agenda to run on, outside of the party's agenda and domain is a show of elitism and upfront red flag that he will not live by rules and process. What is the underlying reason Atiku is floating an "Atiku Policy", instead of a PDP Policy? Come back here after he debuts and hear the analysis and get more revelations into his policy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F-gaWp8OzE

Q&A Session - Chatham House. This was prior to the PDP Primary in Port Harcourt.


1st Question -
The way forward lies in education. What's your view on empowering states to ensure youths are educated?

Atiku -
In my tenure as Vice President my government passed law mandating compulsory free education up to Secondary Leaving Certificate. The states and local governments did not comply with the law. How do you enforce it? The challenge is state and local governments did not invest enough in education. How do you get them to see education as an investment? When I went to commission Ahmadu Bello Unversity, we provoked thoughts on how Northern States can upgrade education and academic performance. When their response came back we discovered all of them were under-funding education. We directed them to begin investing in education, but because there were no enforcement they did not comply. It got worse...it's not just North anymore, under-funding and lack of enforcement of the mandates became national problem. Our grade on the recent WAEC performance result is 75% failure. 1.6M students are contesting for 600 placements in Nigerian Universities. So many end up going to neighbouring countries for education. Nigerians spend $1B in student school tuition in Ghana. The solution I propose is to invest at the minimum standard recommended by UNESCO. Similar problem is found in healthcare, we are under-funding it


2nd Question -
There are many flavors of restructuring, which is yours? Is your restructuring plan geo-political or socio-cultural?

Atiku -
You must first acknowledge my principle of the diagnosis that Nigeria needs to be restructured. The process of restructuring is owned by the people of Nigeria. If I have my way, my temperament on restructuring is to get consensus with NASS and States to attend specifically to the concurrent list and together with the budgets devolve it to State jurisdiction. What is left at the Federal is the exclusive list, we can then open those to constitutional conference for a new draft of the national contract.


3rd Question -
The social contract between the people and government is based on trust. What do you have to say in the breakdown of values and the delinquent leadership?

Atiku -
I don't have problem with social contracts and trust. How does the President discharge his trust? It is on the power of the electorate. A delinquent President should be voted out when is time for election.



4th Question -
Will you run as a independent candidate if you do not secure PDP ticket, and how much of a threat is Obasanjo's coalition to your ambition?

Atiku -
We will wait till that time.


5th Question -
In 2016, the price of oil was $28pb and Nigeria was struggling to raise funds for social infrastructures. If you were the President what would you do to stabilize the local currency against multiple unofficial rates of the dollar since we know sustainable productivity at home depend largely on foreign exchange?

Atiku -
Certainly I went over this in my written speech that, stability is good for trust and market forecast. I advocate for a single official rate.


6th Question -
I believe lack of discipline and self-restraint in leadership, mixed with exploitation of cracks in ethno-cultural diversity in daily life is the biggest problem facing Nigeria. Do you believe in the oneness of Nigerians and how will you implement a policy for the imperative?

Atiku -
I am confident in my ability to restructure Nigeria. In six months I will be able to achieve an accelerated success through the concurrent lists. I challenge citizens to change mindset and begin to demand accountability from their state executives. Get away from blaming Federal Govt unnecessarily for acts owned at state level. Don't absolve the local leaders for maladministration.


7th Question -
Recently a leader mis-spoke and labeled youths and women in condescending remarks. Do you agree with his views? If not, where do you place the value of youth and women in growing the economy of the nation?

Atiku -
I am an employer of labour, most of whom are youths. I do not agree with the view of the person that made the remark. He has no competencies in the area of labour, employment, education and does not interact with youths to understand the gravity of the statement. After the passing of my father at early age I was raised by my mother. I understand the struggles of women first hand. In view of that I made it a policy that 80% of financing by my micro-finance bank benefit women. This has resulted in bringing 45,000 families out of poverty. We attain 98% return on investment on our loan. If you want to improve economy you empower a woman. If you give a woman a 100 naira loan she will invest it and after a while pay back the loan, but if you give it to a man...just forget about it!



8th Question -
How do you intend to engage resourcefulness of Nigerians abroad in an accelerated development at home, and would you have a policymaker for that goal?

Atiku -
I was the one who brought back Nigerians abroad during my tenure in government administration, and we engaged so many of them. The policy will continue but the critical vision is to make Nigeria workable so the incentive abroad is less favorable to home and our citizens can choose staying home.


9th Question -
You referenced a policy on capital expenditure against recurrent expenditure in your speech. You mentioned that the bureaucracy fought against you and rejected the plan. There is a phrase that says "when you fight corruption, corruption fights back". When you are privileged in position of power and you go to implement this policy on capital expenditure, bureaucracy will definitely fight back. Following your instruction to demand strategies and plans from our leaders, what strategies, plans, will Atiku used to defeat an opposing bureaucracy made up largely of your own political associates and fraternal circles?

Atiku -
I will not tell you but allow me to get there, support me and then see how I will handle it.



10th Question -
You talked about privatisation. Have you earmarked any that are suitable for privatization, if you get the ticket?

Atiku -
I don't know what institutions and entities are remaining now because I have been out of office. I can only tell you that since we have been out of office the privatization exercise has not been faithfully implemented by successive administrations and it's static. We will review when Im back in govt and see what needs to be sold off and get it done quick.



11th Question -
Building capacity for home-grown engineering professionals. This is critical for technological progress and development of society. How would you support grooming capacity?

Atiku -
There are deficiencies but we will review the academic curriculum for new opportunities to grow engineering sector. Not long ago at Oxford University I ran into Minister of Education and intimated on bringing back the teaching of history in schools. He took that back with him for discussion with his team on the re-introduction of Nigerian history in schools.



12th Question -
There is nothing new in everything you have shared today, I have heard it before numerous times with promises of how Nigeria is going to solve its problem. Nigeria is now 200 million population, 50% of that is the under 30 demography. This is a big challenge ahead for you. Until Nigeria gets its acts together and spends its money on its domestic resource management and on its own people one will not expect your delivery today to produce a different outcome.

Atiku -
Population growth is a very sensitive issue and touches the core of belief system in Nigeria but we will see what can be done.

END






https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txKbxk5S-RE

I have gone through Atiku's preamble, his charts, the powerpoints and the policy document. There are couple of points to highlight to demystify all the charade and flood of information.

1.
It is all a game of elitism. What Atiku has put together should be called his agenda or proposal to make government work, and not a policy to make Nigeria work. Calling this a policy to make Nigeria work is an insult. Atiku will never unilaterally draft the policy that will make Nigeria work, it is impossible for him or anyone to ever do in a government, not even under a military government is it possible for one person to utilize his ideas for the plurality of a society. Atiku has yet to form a cabinet of government, therefore any submissions to make government work is a proposal or agenda of one man....and not a policy for the country; he is not a one-man government!

2.
Atiku released a similar policy document in 2015 and it remained a paperweight on pages of internet, not a single person at the grassroot can make head or tail out of his ramblings in that material. The same fate awaits this version. For example, how do you translate his ideas to the market woman or the trader in a way that they see value in it within the Nigerian context? There is a disconnect! Atiku is spinning theories and abstracts that have never in the history of Nigeria been achieved even with those far more capable and best gifted to make it a reality but yet impaired by the vagaries of bureaucracy and ethno-cultural objectives.

3.
The materials are targeted to the international communities. Atiku is seeking their approvals and backings as a better option to Buhari. It is why its designs, formats, packaging and language is decorated in a way only they can understand ad relate to, but its delivery to the grassroot Nigerian is meaningless, and for all purposes goes above the head of the common man in the local society. Atiku believes this will get him endorsements at World Bank, in US, in Europe, Russia, China and international media will adopt him. World Bank has been involved in our affairs, US has been involved, Europe, and all other developed nations around the world and even their media have all been involved in our national issues and the solutions to our domestic problems still eludes us. It means whatever their endorsements are after this documents get to them will still not produce a different outcome for the Nigerian society. The solution to our problem is not Atiku, in fact if we go by his track records and history in Nigerian government, Atiku is a liability, not an asset.

4.
Atiku needs to speak to the electorate, not foreign governments and media, and share his plans in ways that it can be understood in the market square. This abstract policy document is not for Nigerians.

MetaPhysical:
I have gone through Atiku's preamble, his charts, the powerpoints and the policy document. There are couple of points to highlight to demystify all the charade and flood of information.

1.
It is all a game of elitism. What Atiku has put together should be called his agenda or proposal to make government work, and not a policy to make Nigeria work. Calling this a policy to make Nigeria work is an insult. Atiku will never unilaterally draft the policy that will make Nigeria work, it is impossible for him or anyone to ever do in a government, not even under a military government is it possible for one person to utilize his ideas for the plurality of a society. Atiku has yet to form a cabinet of government, therefore any submissions to make government work is a proposal or agenda of one man....and not a policy for the country; he is not a one-man government!

2.
Atiku released a similar policy document in 2015 and it remained a paperweight on pages of internet, not a single person at the grassroot can make head or tail out of his ramblings in that material. The same fate awaits this version. For example, how do you translate his ideas to the market woman or the trader in a way that they see value in it within the Nigerian context? There is a disconnect! Atiku is spinning theories and abstracts that have never in the history of Nigeria been achieved even with those far more capable and best gifted to make it a reality but yet impaired by the vagaries of bureaucracy and ethno-cultural objectives.

3.
The materials are targeted to the international communities. Atiku is seeking their approvals and backings as a better option to Buhari. It is why its designs, formats, packaging and language is decorated in a way only they can understand ad relate to, but its delivery to the grassroot Nigerian is meaningless, and for all purposes goes above the head of the common man in the local society. Atiku believes this will get him endorsements at World Bank, in US, in Europe, Russia, China and international media will adopt him. World Bank has been involved in our affairs, US has been involved, Europe, and all other developed nations around the world and even their media have all been involved in our national issues and the solutions to our domestic problems still eludes us. It means whatever their endorsements are after this documents get to them will still not produce a different outcome for the Nigerian society. The solution to our problem is not Atiku, in fact if we go by his track records and history in Nigerian government, Atiku is a liability, not an asset.

4.
Atiku needs to speak to the electorate, not foreign governments and media, and share his plans in ways that it can be understood in the market square. This abstract policy document is not for Nigerians.

What is this? Nothing critical nor plausible In your submission rather than youthful exuberance.

Apc minions really have a difficult task of taming the #Atikutsunami. GNWA on Point!

"Today, I am formally presenting myself to you as the presidential candidate of not just the PDP, but of the hopes and aspirations of all Nigerians. The most important question in this election is: “Are you better off than you were four years ago? Are we richer or poorer?”

Atiku is not a loyal candidate of PDP. He has never been loyal to any party but to his selfish pursuits. A loyal party member will tail the party's agenda, not create a separate agenda that deviates from the party's platform and hosted independently on a personal website. At this point, I should expose why Atiku is formulating an agenda outside of PDP's agenda. Atiku does not believe he can defeat Buhari. If he looses 2019 election, Atiku will return in 2023 as candidate, possibly after defection into another party, to run again for the Presidency. Hosting his agenda independently gives him the flexibility to move around while chasing Presidency. Our voting laws do not yet recognize independent candidates, if it did, Atiku will run as an independent armed with this document. Again, a show of desperation, elitism and operating outside of rules & process. A man that is not willing to observe party's agenda and rules will not observe Nigerian laws and process and will flout them to his personal agenda like Atiku is now demonstrating.

That is why our primary focus is on getting Nigeria working again. I am strongly of the view that I am just one Nigerian and one Nigerian cannot be as wise as all Nigerians. That is why I will offer an inclusive leadership. Atiku Abubakar is 100% for 100% of Nigerians, 100% of the time"

An abstract folly. He speaks sweetly of ideals but acts in opposite to the principles. He does not know how to walk the talk! Producing and publishing a unilateral policy to make government work before he has formed a working government and a team of policy makers is anti-thesis to the ideals of inclusion he speaks about. Atiku is deeply affected in his psychoanalysis and seems to see himself in an illusion of the messiah....the one and only one who is capable of rescuing and fixing Nigeria, even when his scorecard in government and outside government both show him to be a failure in delivering sustainable solutions. He is known for shunting, dodging and other means of short-cuts to work his way around problems.

"Too often, Nigerians have been promised better governance by those seeking their votes. Such individuals have preyed on the legitimate desires of our people for their conditions to be improved, that they make all sorts of promises. I am not one for making grandiose promises. Rather than promises, I believe in policies. A promise is an indication to do a future action. A policy is a plan to achieve future goals.

Atiku has no record of delivering good governance. He does have records of breaking his own promises.
* He promised APC will be his last politicalbus stop; he broke that promise with a defection.
* He promised he will serve 4years, when asked in followup interview, he dodged and said he has constitutional right to two terms.
* He promised in a deal negotiation with Ekweremadu for SE delegates to nominate him as VP, he dropped Ekweremadu after getting SE votes.
* After getting PDP ticket, he is already positioning for another future defection if he looses 2019

As the International Monetary Fund stated very recently, it is the failure of this government to have a coherent and comprehensive set of policies combined with poor leadership that has led to its failure to deliver. Over the last 18 months, I have worked with the best experts Nigeria has to offer to come up with policies and plans that when implemented will get Nigeria going in the right direction again. I am not talking about what I can do. I am talking of what I have done before.

So this policy document is in essence a response to IMF, and not to Nigerians. Atiku wants to sell our country to foreign rulers in IMF, so he spent over 18 months working with monetary experts to draft a document that will get him approval at IMF. mtttcheew, smh...

"I was Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007 and in that time, I chaired the National Economic Council that gave Nigeria her highest and most consistent GDP growth of over 6% per annum. Despite the fact that crude oil prices at that time were much lower than they are today, under the dynamic leadership of President Olusegun Obasanjo, we paid off Nigeria’s entire foreign debt"

Nigeria did not pay off foreign debt. It was forgiven! Debt forgiveness is not the same as debt settlement. What was the corresponding figure for amount looted from Nigerian treasury in same period?

$20 trillion
Between 1960 and 2005 (including the period of Atiku as VP and head of Economic Council), about $20 trillion was stolen from the treasury by public office holders. This amount is larger than the GDP of United States in 2012 (about $18 trillion).

Poverty and inequality in Nigeria are not due to a lack of resources, but to the ill-use, misallocation and misappropriation of such resources. At the root is a culture of corruption combined with a political elite out of touch with the daily struggles of average Nigerians.

https://www.oxfam.org/en/even-it-nigeria/nigeria-extreme-inequality-numbers

"We also introduced the GSM revolution that saw Nigeria go from 100,000 phone lines to over 100 million today. We were able to achieve these, and much more, because we had a plan. That plan worked and today I have the pleasure of unveiling our policies and strategies to take Nigeria from where she is now, to where she needs to be".

There was no plan to bring GSM into Nigeria. Econet, the first GSM provider, followed by MTN, were simply enterprises in search of markets. Google is in Nigeria today. No government had a policy plan to bring Google to Nigeria. Nigeria is an open market and government regulations accommodate new ways of doing business and commerce, simple!

President Obasanjo: although he contributed very little to the success of GSM, I still think he deserves a mention. Like every good striker or goalkeeper knows, it is not easy to be at the right place at the right time. Bravo baba for being at the right place at the right time.
- Paschal Okafor, in his article to commemorate 10yrs of GSM in Nigeria.

Here Are The Plans
- My plan will give Nigerian workers a living wage.
- My plan will give Nigeria’s youth a world-class education.
- My plan will empower Nigerian women, reduce maternal mortality and increase their financial stability.
- My plan will cater for the elderly, so our people are not afraid of growing old.
- My plan will invest in our failing infrastructure.
- But above all, my plan will help create jobs because in my many travels across our great nation the one consistent thing I hear wherever I am
is that our people need jobs.
- Today we will begin the process of sharing our policies that form my plan to create jobs, restructure the polity, and Get Nigeria Working
Again.
- If elected President, I will be pro-active in attracting investments and supporting the 50 million small and medium scale enterprises across
Nigeria for the purpose of doubling the size of our Gross Domestic Product to US$900 billion by 2025.
- These investments will create a minimum of 2.5 million jobs annually and lift at least 50 million people from poverty in the first 2 years.
- My team and I will also help create jobs by innovating flagship programmes such as the National Open Apprenticeship Programme through
which we shall enhance the capacity of Master-Craftsmen and women to train 1,000,000 new apprentices every year.
- Our National Innovation Fund and SME Venture Capital Fund initiatives will provide stable and sustainable long-term support to aspiring
entrepreneurs.
- My plan to restructure Nigeria will lead to a vast increase in the Internally Generated Revenue both for the Federal Government and the states
via the matching grants that we will provide to state governments that increase their own revenue.
- Let me be clear no state will receive less funding than they get today – in fact all will receive more and the harder a state works the more
they will get.

There has never been a government in Nigeria free of cabals, or interest groups.

* Murtala Muhammed was very focused and intolerant of lost times in implementing plans. He blocked out interest groups so he could get work done to progress Nigeria, and they finally brought an end to his government...killed him in the process.

* Muhammadu Buhari was an advocate of self-sufficiency and self-restraint and believed Nigerians have many fine brains that can correct ad get this country working without unnecessary interference of outsiders. The interest groups killed his government and replaced it with one that submitted our destiny to IMF and IOC. That replacement was IBB.

* IBB with his cunning and stealth had become too powerful and thought he was greater than the cabal and sought to liquidate them, twice they almost killed him, he did not wait for a third attempt and hurriedly abandoned power for safety.

* Abacha who wielded so much power that he threatened Ooni Sijuwade and Emir Bayero for their interference, and successfully dethroned a Sultan of Sokoto.....when the interest groups felt he would come after them and monopolize looting of national treasury to himself they assassinated him.

* Obasanjo, the baddest of bad...no President of Nigeria, in military or democracy, has earned the credits and approvals of international institutions and governments near as much as OBJ. He was rumored to be grooming for UN Sec-Gen at one point. As President and Atiku's boss from 1999 to 2007, the cabals succeeded in bending him at the knees to yield to their demands.

* GEJ was too innocent and naive of third columnists to understand that government is given to the President in order that the cabals, the trustees themselves, the barons of power, would not have to be burdened with the task and they can operate from a safe background looting and grooming big fat stomachs.

* GMB thought what he went through in the first encounter as a uniformed leader would be different in his return in babanriga....only God has saved him, twice they nearly killed him now. On his second recovery he abandoned office premises for few months. His offense? He blocked circulation of illegitimate money and centralized control...a direct impact to the livelihood of cabals. A direct effrontery to trustees of the Nigerian treasury. Under his nose and with all his controls in place they devised new means of circulating ill gotten wealth.


So who is Atiku deceiving to think we believe in his plans and what he will do. We know what he won't do...and that is offend the cabals.

"I started out as an orphan selling firewood on the streets of Jada in Adamawa, but God, through the Nigerian state, invested in me and here I am today. If Nigeria worked for me, I owe it as my duty to make sure that Nigeria also works for you. It is time to Get Nigeria Working Again. I appeal to you to join me on this journey towards a better life for all Nigerians, Thank you".

I have heard various versions of this story. Some of it goes back to his bloodline as a non-fulani, but rather from one of the local tribes conquered by the fulanis. In either case, Atiku would have been 15 years in 1961 when Adamawa became a part of Nigeria from Cameroon. Did Atiku reflect on his poor childhood and the future of children in similar circumstances when he established American University of Nigeria in Yola? How is AUN working for those who are growing up like Atiku did?

Go here to see how much it costs per year to attend AUN. https://www.aun.edu.ng/index.php/admissions/fees-undergraduate

Our Mission

To provide the appropriate political leadership for:
· Building a strong, resilient and prosperous economy.
· Establishing a strong and effective democratic government that
secures our people and provides opportunities for them to realize
their full potentials, allows greater autonomy for our federating
units, and gives each region of the country a sense of belonging.
· Reinforcing Nigeria's Unity by promoting the spirit of cooperation
and consensus among its heterogeneous peoples.
These three critical elements are closely linked and influence one another in a
dynamic manner. For example, as has been universally demonstrated, the
spirit of co-operation and consensus in a nation of diverse ethnic groups,
cultures and religions, is required to establish, nurture and sustain a strong and
effective democratic government.


The structure of the country as it is, is not working properly as it should. This
indeed is the reality. If we are to grow into a strong, competitive and
prosperous economy, we must re-structure the economy and the polity. We
must adopt a new economic management model that will cure all the
federating units of this addiction to oil revenues. Through constitutional
means, we must strive to establish a new political structure that reinforces the
concept of 'true federalism' by conceding unfettered autonomy to the
subordinating units and ensuring government accountability at all levels.




I know it is going to be a lot of hard work, with no quick fixes. It needs a leader
that is resilient, disciplined and dedicated, and passionate about Nigeria to fight
for it, and consistent enough to guide the country through the rough times
ahead. I pledge to remain focused and make the tough decisions needed to
move the country forward.



The Covenant
1. We shall guarantee to the Nigerian people, a progressive and
focused government, with a vision and positive notion of
development, aided by professionalized and result-oriented
public service.
2. We shall reposition the public sector to become more accountable,
disciplined and performance-oriented. Service delivery shall be
more efficient and effective.
3. We shall build a dynamic and competitive economy. Nigeria's
economic growth shall be inclusive, equitable and humane: our
22
dream economy shall create jobs for our youth.
4. Economic development will be people-centred and Nigeria's new
prosperity shall be for all. We shall enhance access to economic
opportunities and shall consciously make the basic needs of life,
including health, education, electricity, water and housing, readily
available and affordable for everyone: our dream economy shall lift
our people from poverty and narrow the income gaps.
5. We shall endeavor to achieve and maintain a balance between the
rural and urban sectors of the economy and between the various
federating units and geo-political zones.
6. We shall ensure increased public-private sector interface for the
financing of joint development projects.
7. We shall, through constitutional means, achieve a new political
structure that guarantees freedoms and ensure government
accountability at all levels. Our political reform shall reinforce the
country's concept of 'true federalism' by conceding unfettered
autonomy to the other two tiers of government (states and local
governments);
8. We shall promote the politics of inclusiveness that will reduce
citizens' frustration and alienation and that way, eliminate the
motivation to take up arms against the society or fellow
countrymen.
9. We shall restore the citizen's confidence in Nigeria as one
indivisible, indissoluble, ethnically diverse but strong country that
will protect and secure socio-economic benefits for all.
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10. We shall emphasize prevention, detection and certain, swift and
severe punishment of corruption. Consequently, we shall build
institutions and encourage a national culture of accountability,
efficiency and transparency.
11. We shall rigorously enforce judicious use of public resources, with
zero tolerance for nepotism, corruption and poor management.
12. We shall recognise the central place of the rule of law and ensure
the supremacy of law over all persons and authorities. The
Nigerian constitution will be the anchor on which the
independence of the judiciary, personal liberty and democratic
and other fundamental rights rest.



Responses to the above later. I am reviewing some chapters from Atiku's 2015 policy document in archive in reference to the above.