Posted by From MARIAM ALESHINLOYE AGBOOLA, Jos on
As the People's Democratic Party (PDP) continues its primary elections tomorrow, which will culminate in the picking of its presidential candidate at the national convention next month, Enugu State governor, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, has given kudos to President Olusegun Obasanjo and Senator Ahmadu Ali, national chairman of the party, for their leadership which engendered the success of the ward congress held last weekend.
• Praises Obasanjo, Ali for successful PDP ward congress
As the People's Democratic Party (PDP) continues its primary elections tomorrow, which will culminate in the picking of its presidential candidate at the national convention next month, Enugu State governor, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, has given kudos to President Olusegun Obasanjo and Senator Ahmadu Ali, national chairman of the party, for their leadership which engendered the success of the ward congress held last weekend.
He said that the success of the congress has set in motion the irreversible trend of transition to the expected 2007 era.
Giving kudos to Senator Ali for his exemplary leadership, Nnamani said: "Such leadership, which produces over 95 per cent success in congresses held in thousands of wards across Nigeria is indicative of the man's abilities to manage complex organizations and programmes without qualms. I am proud of him."
Praising Obasanjo for the positive turn around of the country in the last seven and half years, Nnamani said: "It has become clear to all that what Mr. President had wanted all along and what he set for us to do, was to re-establish a firmer foundation for the Nigeria state."
He said that even as Obasanjo's two-year tenure winds down, "Mr. President is still reaching new crescendos, signing a life saving and would-be enduring contract of revival for the railways, injecting newer ideas and sustaining the very tempo of reform which he pioneered since 1999."
On what has been achieved since 1999, Nnamani said: "Today, telephone is no longer used for status symbol, but as economically productive facilities in the hands of every Nigerian. By the consolidation process, the banks are stronger and more positioned to help the growth and development of our economy. By the oil exploration reforms, the downstream oil exploration is both more transparent and productive today. For once after so long a time, we now have well articulated and programmed educational development initiatives.
And the infrastructure base of Nigeria is returning to what it used to be in the late 1970s and early 1980s, that is with the hope of surpassing that age of innocence.
"I said in the past and still repeat that it is only a leader as deeply rooted as Chief Obasanjo who, rather than embrace populist political and economic actions, in 1999, would summon the courage to take the painful path of reform, revival, reposition and redirection, before ever hoping to appease the thirst for immediate gains."
The governor said that Nigerians are now reaping the benefit of debt cancellation, rescheduling and renegotiations despite the fact that they did not believe, at the beginning, that it was possible.
Said he: "Many Nigerians hardly understand the visceral grip such debt profile had on Nigeria, both as a state and an economy, and so could not link it with the fitful state of the economy which still had to get its operations right with foreign technology, financial input and other international contributions."