President Buhari laying sustainable foundation for Nigeria’s greatness – APC Group

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Legacy Awareness and Campaign group says the APC Administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari has boldly pursued reforms aimed at laying a solid and sustainable foundation for the greatness of Nigeria since it assumed office six years ago.

The group made this known in a statement by its leaders; the Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) Salihu Moh. Lukman, APC Youth leader, Barr. Ismail Ahmed, former national publicity secretary Lanre Issa-Onilu and a presidential media aide Tolu Ogunlesi.

It said a lot of the investments and reforms being currently undertaken by the APC should have been done by previous administrations.

“A lot of the investments being made today should have been done long before now, but as the Chinese proverb says, ‘The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now,” the statement read.

The Group described President Buhari’s commitment to completing abandoned and unfinished projects inherited from previous administrations as “unparalleled” while noting that such efforts are unprecedented in developing and upgrading national infrastructure.

Infrastructure

According to the APC Legacy Group, more road and rail infrastructure are being built and/or completed since 2015 than in the sixteen years between 1999 and 2015.

“Several landmark infrastructure initiatives are being implemented by the Buhari Administration, from the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) to the Infrastructure Company (InfraCo), the Highway Development Maintenance Initiative (HDMI), the Sovereign Sukuk Bonds (that have collectively raised close to a billion dollars), and the Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme,” it said.

Agricultural Self-Sufficiency

The group noted that through landmark initiatives like the Anchor Borrowers Programme and the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative, millions of farmers across the country have benefited from improved access to land, input, credit and fertilizers; and private sector players have invested more than a billion dollars in cultivation, milling and processing.

Social Safety Net

The APC group said under the present administration, Nigeria has since 2016 built the largest social investment programme in Africa, with more than 10 million beneficiaries receiving one or more of the following: Cash Transfers, Micro-Credit, School Feeding, N-Power Stipends and a Special Public Works Programme across all 774 Local Government Areas of the country.

Also Read: APC group to showcase President Buhari’s achievements

Enabling the Private Sector

It noted that under the watch of the APC-controlled Federal Government, the largest single-train refinery in the world is being constructed in Lagos, as well as the first new Deep-Sea Port in the country in decades.

“Across the Niger Delta, several private-sector-led Modular Refinery Projects have kicked off since 2016 and are being completed; as well as the long-awaited Train 7 that will expand the NLNG’s capacity by a third.

“Billions of dollars have been invested in every part of the country by private investors in Agriculture, Mining, Oil and Gas, Manufacturing, Logistics, and other areas, since 2016,” it stated.

Governance Reforms

The group said no administration since 1999 has assented to as much transformative legislation as the current APC administration.

“The first Police Reform Bill since 1943, the first Prisons Reform Bill in almost fifty years, the first reform of Companies legislation (CAMA) in thirty years, the first reform of Fiscal Terms for the Oil and Gas Industry since 1993, the first legislation in West Africa aimed at criminalising Maritime Piracy, Clearing of longstanding Petroleum Joint Venture (JV) Cash Call Arrears, Restoration of the Budgeting Calendar to a January-December cycle, take-off of the Ogoni Clean Up, after several years of delays, and many more,” it said.

National Security Capacity

The group said that even as the country continues to struggle with several historical security challenges, the APC-led administration of President Buhari has been planting the seeds for a more efficiently policed and secured country.

“Unprecedented investments in military hardware: dozens of new aircraft, ships, battle tanks and others have been ordered and are being delivered.

“Presidential Assent to the new Police Act, in which Community Policing has been enshrined. Establishment of the Police Trust Fund to finance training, logistics and welfare.

“Investment in technology-aided policing of land and maritime environments – Nigeria Police National Command and Control Centre (NPF-C4i),” it said.

While acknowledging that criticisms and opposition are integral requirements of democracy it stated that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) must criticize by presenting to Nigerians what they did comparatively during their 16-year stewardship.

“APC is working to rebuild Nigeria after years of neglect and destructions. President Buhari is laying solid and sustainable foundation for Nigeria’s greatness,” it said.

 

Zainab Sa’id