President Jonathan: A Litany Of FailedPromises By Babatunde Raji Fashola

My duty today is simple; yet it is one that excites me very deeply
because as I welcome you all to Lagos and to the first Presidential
Convention of the All Progressives Congress, I am confident that I am
welcoming you to change.
I welcome you to a change that is for the better.
I welcome you to change that will liberate Nigeria from inefficient
national management. I welcome you all delegates from across Nigeria,
to Lagos, where the first building
blocks of the country now known as Nigeria were laid.
I welcome you back to the epicenter of
nationalism and the home of change, where our pre-eminent nationalists
forced a change from colonial government to a Nigerian
government.
I welcome you all back to where the promise of Nigeria was hatched, as
a land of endless opportunities.
Unfortunately, the bridge between us and our opportunities have been
shattered by a series of broken promises by a party, Government
and President for whom promises mean nothing.
I have made it my task to record as many of the promises made by
President Jonathan and his party. The lists of promises are as long as
the list of disappointments. All over Nigeria, he made promises to us and
as far as Lagos is concerned, I can tell you that those promises
remain unfulfilled without explanation.
I do not know what all experiences from your various states are, but I
will repeat here, some of the promises that I recorded that he made
across Nigeria and ask you to tell us whether
they have been fulfilled.
1. To complete the second River Niger
bridge before the expiration of the
tenure
2. To make the Minister of Works to
immediately start repairs of the road
leading to Murtala Mohammed
International Airport
3. To transform all major routes in
Damaturu to federal roads
4. To assist in resuscitating all the
collapsed industries in Kano state
5. To set up a committee to review Federal government landed
properties in Lagos, hand over those that should and retain those that
should be in possession of the Federal Government.
6. To give Sokoto-Kotangora road
unfettered attention
7. To deliver stable, constant supply of
electricity
8. To ensure that Nigerians do not use
generators more than two times in a
week
9. To explore the coal deposits in Benue and Kogi states for improved
power supply
10. To reduce the importation of generators at least 90 percent in four years.
11. To address the issues of unemployment through diversification of
the nation's economy to that of sustainable agricultural development
across the 36 states of federation
12. To create 1.5 million jobs in 2 years
13. To transform the economy within four years
14. To construct 2 world scale
petrochemical plants, 2 fertilizer plants
and 2 fertilizer blending plants.
15. To establish petrochemical plant
around Koko Free Trade Zone in Delta
State
16. To make Nigeria go beyond producing and exporting crude oil to
exporting refined petroleum products because Nigeria has no reason to
keep importing kerosene
17. To make anyone caught breaching the public peace to face the full
wrath of the law.
18. To make sure that no part of the
country is allowed to be a sanctuary for
criminals anymore be they armed
robbers or kidnappers
19. To make a complete transformation of national security architecture
20. To ensure there is no sacred cow in the fight against corruption;
all crimes will be investigated as security is key.
21. To strengthen EFCC and ICPC to fight crime
22. To embark on irrigation project to boost production; to start two
projects in Kwara State
23. To boost farming activities by providing power and water
24. To re-build Ilesa water scheme
25. To complete Ife/Ijesa dam
26. To provide sufficient water to the
people of Taraba;
27. To revamp mining activities in Jos,
Plateau State
28. To make solid mineral key revenue
source in Nigeria
29. To fight corruption regardless of the
position of the person involved
30. To play politics without bitterness.
31. To lead by example; strengthen the
anti-graft agencies, not interfere and
give free hand on all matters of
investigation against any government
official.
32. To ensure that the National Boundary Development Agencies are
funded to tackle the challenges that arose out of the ceding of
Bakassi to Cameroun
Today, we must rebuild the bridge that will bring change to Nigeria
and more Nigerians closer to the promise of Nigeria.
Today you will have the opportunity to change broken promises to
fulfilled promises and rescue Nigeria from mismanagement and bad
governance. Our party has carefully developed a Manifesto through
which the broken and unfulfilled promises made to the people of
Nigeria can be
actualized.
The Manifesto is anchored on changing
insecurity to security.
That Manifesto will change a dysfunctional government to an efficient
Government. That Manifesto will change underdevelopment
to rapid and accelerated development.
That Manifesto will change our poor
circumstances to a prosperous dawn.
That Manifesto will change Nigeria's global reputation from its
current dismal status to one of international respect and global
admiration.
One man will bear the responsibility and enormous burden for
implementing that Manifesto and the change that it brings.
All of you, our delegates are the men and women to whom history has
been so kind to bring to this day, to this State, to this venue and to
this moment, to choose that man with
your votes. Let me be clear. What you are gathered to do is epical.
What you are gathered to do is not easy. Change is not easy.
What you are gathered to do is important to the whole world.
Let me remind you that we gather to vote to make a choice that will
alter the way Nigeria develops and in that way, Africa develops.
You are gathered to elect the potential leader of Africa's most populous nation.
You are gathered to elect the Ambassador of Change.
Please do so wisely, decorously and with a sense of duty.
God bless you all as you cast the votes to change Nigerians for the
better. Long live the
All Progressives Congress.
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Thank you.
Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN
Governor of Lagos State