Introduction
It is with gratitude to God Almighty and with a deep sense of humility
that I accept my nomination as the flag bearer of the PDP in the Governorship
election of Adamawa State 2015.
Adamawa State, which was created from the old Gongola State in 1991, has
over 80 ethnic groups, each with its distinct historical and cultural heritage
yet understanding and accommodating each other.
The State has a current
population of approximately 4 million people, majority of who are into
agriculture as a source of their livelihood. The beauty of our State lies in
its diversity: the diversity of the people and the land.
As a mark of
instability, the State has been governed by six different governors since the
return to democracy in 1999. Together with its neighbouring Borno and Yobe
States, Adamawa has also been under a state of emergency since May 14, 2013.
The State is urgently in need of governance reforms and positive change.
We must think clearly and act decisively to change behaviour and
transform the State to a better pedestal; this, we must do if we have learned
anything. We must look towards the future and move forward, unlock our
potentials and opportunities and discover our possibilities.
Our hopes and
aspirations must embolden us to act in the manner we ought to. We must
understand where we are now, our state of governance, political, economic, and
social aspects and move to develop a common position of clarity and vision that
will provide the insight we need to steer the course of Adamawa State for the
future. Inspired by who we are, united in our pursuit for a better society, one
guided by the people and for the people – our vision must reflect this. If
elected, we will tap those resources and diversities for the ultimate benefit
of the people of Adamawa State.
We intend to govern honestly, with sincerity of
purpose and commitment. We shall run an all inclusive government, reducing
waste and enhancing transparency and accountability, at the same time, creating
harmony and peaceful coexistence through justice and fairness.
This Manifesto is therefore a short statement of our purpose and
strategic direction.
It sets out to briefly present the man, Nuhu Ribadu, and in
line with the federal government’s transformation agenda, key priorities of our
campaign and eventual ascension to government.
The Man Nuhu Ribadu
Nuhu Ribadu was born in Yola, Adamawa State, on November 21, 1960. Ribadu
attended Aliyu Mustapha Primary School, Yola from 1966 to 1973 and Yelwa
Government Secondary School, Yola from 1973-1977. Between 1978 and 1980, he was
at the College of Preliminary Studies, CPS, Yola, for his A-level studies. In
1980, he gained admission to study law at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria,
graduating in 1983. He graduated from the Nigerian Law School and was called to
the bar in 1984. He joined the Police immediately after his national service.
Ribadu holds an LLM degree with emphasis on the jurisprudence of
corruption in Nigeria from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. In 2008, he was
at the Harvard Business School where he did a program in the strategic
management of law enforcement agencies.
The name Nuhu Ribadu has become a household name in Nigeria and beyond
on account of his glorious public service record and personal integrity. A
trained lawyer and fearless crime fighter, Ribadu has carved a niche for
himself as someone who is patriotic, passionate, honest, courageous and
compassionate.
He was the pioneer Executive Chairman of Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the government commission tasked with
countering corruption and fraud which he literally transformed
into one of the most effective and renowned anti-graft agencies in modern
history. Yet, his major tribute to anti-corruption crusade was his
selflessness, resilience and exemplary conduct in his spirited fight against
the cankerworm.
With uncommon commitment and dedication to duty, Ribadu worked
assiduously to clean the Aegean stable created by grafts and frauds. He
courageously brought to book hundreds of fraudsters, scores of high profile
looters and economic saboteurs in spite of temptation, booby traps and threats
to life.
In three years, the EFCC under his leadership built the now most
celebrated Crimes Training and Research Institute in the West African region.
The agency also recorded over 200 criminal convictions under his leadership.
In acknowledgement of these rare achievements, Ribadu was promoted to
the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), in March 2007. The
African Union put him on its advisory board on anti-corruption matters; and he
was invited to join the advisory board of the friends of the World Bank/UNODC
initiative on stolen asset recovery. Ribadu is a recipient of several awards as
a police officer, prosecutor and Chairman, EFCC.
He received the Inspector
General of Police Awards in 1997, 1998 and 2000 and the Special Commendation of
Mr. President in 2005, for the successful prosecution of several advance fee
fraud, banking fraud and sundry economic crime cases. He was also specially
commended by the Accountant General of the Federation for successfully
prosecuting some corrupt public servants in 1999.
Since 2004, notable newspapers and magazines in Nigeria have repeatedly
voted Ribadu as Man of the Year, in recognition of his outstanding achievements
as a committed crusader against corruption and other related crimes.
In 2008, Ribadu completed the senior executive course of the Nigeria
Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies where he was conferred with the
Membership of the National Institute, MNI. In June 2010, Ribadu was awarded the
Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) by Babcock University, Ogun State, in
recognition of his "resolute courage" as well as his "fierce
stance against corruption in the face of sponsored disgrace and certain death
that has resulted into positive changes and global acclaim hitherto considered
impossible".
In a quest for higher call to service, Ribadu aspired to head the
country as the presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in
the 2011 election. He however lost to incumbent President Goodluck
Jonathan. In August 2014 Ribadu left his
former party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) to join the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) under whose platform he is aspiring to be governor of
Adamawa State as a mark of sacrifice not only to root out corruption in the
polity which remains a critical success factor in governance but also to arrest
the decadence in the State.
With a resounding pedigree – integrity, commitment,
astute administration capacity, a sense of justice and fairness, and above all,
being passionate in whatever he does, Ribadu will bring these personal and
amiable attributes to create a sense of belonging, unite the people, protect
the weak and vulnerable, adhere to the rule of law and improve the living
conditions of Adamawa people and Nigerians as a whole.
Ribadu believes that “in
countries like Nigeria, if there is going to be hope, chances are it is going
to be through the enthronement of law and order, rule of law, doing things
properly and correctly”; and that "no policy of government can ever work
unless you start from the basics, unless you will start cleaning up and giving
a chance for policies to work" It is with this vision in mind that he
declared - "I’m in politics to participate, to look for an opportunity and
chance to make my own contribution and help make a better country."
Delivering Governance that Works
We do not assume that it would be easy to effect desirable change.
Nevertheless, it is our acute awareness of the enormity of the problems and
challenges ahead that we intend to carry every meaningful person along in our
relentless and epoch-making aspiration. This manifesto derives from the
fundamental objectives and directive principles of the Nigerian Constitution.
It recognizes the contributions of all stakeholders and spurs us into action.
It is both a statement of principles of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and a call to
action for the good people of Adamawa State. It serves as our preparation to
foster commitment and engender good governance – for our people and our future
– a drive towards our equality, hopes and our achievements.
Vision:
To make Adamawa State a model of good governance and
infrastructural development in Nigeria by the year 2019.
Mission:
To run an open and accountable government that is inclusive
and responsive to the needs of Adamawa people, as well as trigger the changes that will transform
the State especially in the critical areas of peace and harmonious
coexistence, provision of infrastructure, education, healthcare and
agriculture.
Key Priorities
Recognizing the multitude of the problems and challenges facing our
state, as well as the limitation of resources, any meaningful and constructive
interventions must be prioritized. The heart of what we will do is focused on
improving the welfare and productivity of our people.
The common denominators
of our interventions are based on the dire need to reduce unemployment, poverty
and inequality amongst our people. Our plan will follow a growth strategy based
on targeted interventions to remove constraints in both formal and informal
sector value chains with high employment and growth potential. Accordingly, our
interventions shall be anchored on the key priority areas mentioned below.
· Urgent
rehabilitation and resettlement of displaced population; and collaborating with
the federal government to enhance security of lives and property.
·
Reducing
the cost of governance by blocking existing leakages and making sure that
resources available are equitably used for the good of the people.
·
Reengineering the economy:
o
Making
agribusiness a priority as a potential tool for broad development impact and
poverty reduction;
o
Provision
of well-functioning infrastructure
(electricity, water, roads, renewable energy, telecoms);
o
Better
access to finance by developing sectors of the credit market, from microfinance
to larger corporations;
o
Reforming
the investment climate and minimizing bureaucratic procedures; and
o
Implementing
a growth strategy based on targeted interventions to remove constraints in both
formal and informal sector value chains with high employment and growth
potentials.
·
Ensuring effective health care delivery: Our concern for better healthcare and the prevention of illnesses is
at the forefront of our healthcare intervention. We aim to stimulate access to
health care closer to home by supporting those who administer appropriate health
care resources to improve and preserve the health of the people of
Adamawa.
Providing access to better
health care can be a comprehensive plan but our approach will focus on meeting
significant target performances in availability, affordability and acceptability.
In order to do this, first, we will ensure adequate supply of services through
the right infrastructure, manpower and regulations; second, minimize financial,
organizational and social barriers that inhibit access in our rural and urban
areas. We will strive to make health
care services relevant and effective to gain the best possible health outcomes
for our people.
As we work towards providing access, and “gaining” access, we
also will not lose focus on the relevance and effectiveness of services and the
equity of access. Our delivery approach will focus on guiding principles such
as:
•
Strengthening
primary health care infrastructure and facilities;
•
Promoting
health care systems that coordinate safe medical care, long term services, and
community-based resources;
• Decentralize healthcare responsibilities to local governments, and ensure that minimum service levels meet set
guidelines;
•
Providing
capacity needs for health care workers;
•
Reduce
maternal and child mortality and promote women’s health; and
•
Ensure
available cost-effective treatments to
all patients who need them.
· Education: Access
and equity in standard and quality represent the basic structural setbacks for
the sector. We do not underestimate the benefit of education to our people as the
key to mind building, and as the catalyst and stimulus for driving planned
socio-economic development initiatives. For this reason, we will work to create
more effective policy strategies that not only improve infrastructure, learning
resources and teaching skills, but also family commitments to help us close the
gaps that hinder enrolment and literacy. Our other interventions will
prioritize the following:
• Early childhood development;
• Increased funding, as it is cited as the major setback
to enrolment;
• Ensure most children are able to attend a good local school with admissions
policies applying to all schools;
• Improve the quality of teaching and learning; and
• Improve literacy level, enrolment and better access
for the girl child.
Women and Youth Empowerment
A cardinal objective of my administration if voted
into office will be the empowerment of women which is not just intertwined with
rights but a precondition for advancing development
and reducing poverty. Empowered women contribute to the health and productivity
of whole families and communities, and they improve prospects for the next
generation. Women empowerment would be mainstreamed in all facets of the
administration be it the civil service, judiciary and the executive. It would
also reflect in our dealings with the private sector and civil society.
On the other hand, our young people will
be actively engaged in the production chain of the economy and uplift the
quality of their lives to a reasonable standard obtainable anywhere. It is my
belief that women and children, by their sheer population ratio, deserve a
better treatment. We cannot afford to neglect the future!
Key
Enablers
In order to achieve the government’s vision and
mission for Adamawa State, the effectiveness of the civil service is crucial
for promoting social and industrial harmony. We intend, therefore, to bring
civil service reforms that will make the Service in tandem with the best
practices obtainable everywhere. Training and re-training will be given priority.
This development plan will be anchored on the
following throngs:
·
Constructive
engagement with the people of Adamawa State at all levels.
·
Partnering
with federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
·
Building
on the leverage with development partners.
Undoubtedly, Adamawa
is one of the States with challenges of income and finances. Currently, the
State depends heavily on revenue allocations from the federation account, which
make up over 90% of total revenues. Yearly allocation hovers just over N50
billion and internally generated revenues have remained significantly low,
around N4 billion annually.
However, we intend to run a government that is
fiscally responsible, within the means of the State. Policy interventions must
be economically sustainable such that they ensure efficiency, less debt,
responsible lending, proper regulation and no risky financial instruments. What
is important is to set priorities that will make Adamawa State one of the best
governed States in Nigeria.
As an alternative
to the State’s dependence on federal allocations, the government plans a new
economic growth model that will widen the tax base and generate more revenue
for the State, improve compliance with untaxed businesses, as well as raise user fees and leases on government goods and services, including
mineral rights.
Privatising certain non-key government-run enterprises would
also turn tax-subsidized operations into tax-generating ones. These will be
effectively managed such that they are easy to administer, progressive as well
as neutral, without disrupting the allocation of resources.
Conclusion
We are fully aware of the challenges ahead of
us. We therefore use this medium to extend our hands of friendship and
solidarity to the good people of Adamawa State to give us their support and
opportunity to make a difference.
We are humbled by our success thus far, and
we appeal to all peace loving citizens of our State to join hands with us for a
better Adamawa. We cannot achieve our goals without the support of others, but
we trust in God Almighty that He is the ultimate and He will lead us in the
right path.
This Manifesto is a statement of our
objectives and directive principles in brief. Our blueprint, which will be
developed in collaboration with all Stakeholders, will be based on these key
principles and priorities as well as the manifesto of our great party - the
Peoples’ Democratic Party.
We trust that we can rely on your support and
cooperation, and leveraging on the support of our Party, the PDP in Adamawa State
and in Nigeria as a whole, to build a better State for the present and future generation.
Long live Adamawa State!
Long live the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)!!
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment