Buhari’s health: Stop heating up the polity, Okorocha tells Fayose
By Bode Olagoke Abuja
As the debate on whether or not there is the need to restructure the country continues, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that the priority of the present government “is to fi x the economy, restore hope to Nigerians and create jobs for the youth.” Th ere, however, appears to be divided opinions among the leaders of the party on whether or not the 2014 National Conference reports should be considered as part of the moves to restructure the country.
While the APC National Chairman, Chief John OdigieOyegun, sees nothing wrong in considering the Conference reports, one of his governors, Malam Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state, who described the Confab as “a jamboree,” declared that the position of the APC not to consider the reports had not changed. Th ey made their views known yesterday when they featured as guests on Channel Television’s popular early morning programme, Arise. When reminded that the Senate had requested for the reports, Governor El-Rufai said: “Th at is not likely to happen. We never believed in the Confab; we believe it is a jamboree.
Our position has not changed; we are not going to look at the 2014 Confab.” However, Oyegun in his remarks, said: “Th e conversation has started; let me put it that way, and we cannot, as a party, ignore it; but right now we are looking at all the options. Like I said before, priorities fi rst; we have a nation that was supreme, what was our priority? Should we face this political issue? Or should we try to put food on the table of Nigerians, provide jobs and employment for them?
“We will do the right thing; that does not exclude this conversation which is going on, we can’t ignore it. It is not possible to ignore it, so it is something we have to address, not the grandstanding that is going on. People jump on the bandwagon of populist issues, a government cannot do that, a government does not act that way, but it does not mean that we are going to ignore what is going on. We are going to take advantage of it and let everyone talk and we are at that stage right now.”
Th e party, however, stated that it did avoid the word restructuring in its manifestoes, but only promised devolution of power and true federalism. On the steps being taken to achieve the plan if restructuring would not be considered now, he also asked: “What is more important, to fi x the economy or to embark on this political issue with all the contentious and diff erent interpretations that the public give to it? It is very specifi c on the manifesto and we are not going to renege on it; no question about that.
“It is contentious and a lot of people talk about restructuring without any commonality. We have stated clearly what we want to do; devolution, true federalism. We really avoided the word restructuring because it means so many things to so many people. So, yes, short answer to your question, we are coming to that, but our priority for now, for today, is to fi x the economy and restore hope, provide jobs to the teeming millions of our youths all over the country. So, it is a matter of priority.” On President Muhammad Buhari’s health, and the apparent silence by the APC, Oyegun said: “What I say is that we are not his doctors, but the reports we have are very good. It is a most unfortunate thing; it is not ideal, nobody wishes that on himself or on a nation, but he is recovering very, very strongly.” He said Nigerians should discountenance the claim by the Ekiti state Governor, Ayo Fayose, that Buhari was on lifesupport
