October 20, (THEWILL) – Presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has unveiled his manifesto, with national security, economy, education, oil and gas, agriculture, transportation and power topping his ‘Action Plan’ for Nigeria.
The unveiling was done simultaneously with the inauguration of the party’s presidential campaign council (PCC) by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The transformational plan was unveiled on Friday, at the Banquet Hall of the presidential villa, Abuja.
The document, tagged “Renewed Hope – An Action Plan for a Better Nigeria”, contained multi-sectoral policy options.
“I seek to become the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria because I know the way. My experience and past performance assure that. It will be through collective effort and national endeavour that we join hands, cross divides, and achieve our vision”, Tinubu said self-assuredly.
Unveiling his plan for Nigeria, the former Lagos State governor, said, he “will prioritise national security, economy, agriculture, power, oil and gas, transportation and education, when elected as President Buhari’s successor next February.”
The former governor of Lagos promised that his administration would provide sufficient jobs with decent wages; revive manufacturing industries; generate, transmit and distribute sufficient and affordable electricity; manufacture, produce and market good quantities of essential goods and services; export more and import less to strengthen the Naira; make food available and affordable; modernise and expand public infrastructure.
Tinubu assured that if elected in 2023, his administration will optimise the country’s foreign exchange (FX) to strengthen the naira, as well as reduce foreign debt to achieve a productive economy.
He said the exchange rate is the most evocative monetary issue of the day as it “stirs emotions and feelings of national pride or embarrassment, depending on the rate of the day and the trend it suggests”.
According to Tinubu, the FX rate influences the costs of imports, the competitiveness of exports, and net capital flows, among other things.
“It cannot be ignored nor left to the vagaries of an unrestrained market.
“Yet, we must be precise regarding economic cause and effect. The recent dip in our exchange rate is primarily due to global supply and production shortfalls caused by global factors well beyond the scope of our control. Our diminished levels of oil production and the modest capacity of our manufacturing sector to expand production both serve to compound the pressure on the naira.
“Further compounding our difficulty is the fact that we are tied to an ineffective regime of multiple, somewhat arbitrary, exchange rates. This situation gives rise to financial dislocation, currency speculation and arbitrage.
“These practices divert much-needed funds away from productive endeavours that could employ hundreds of thousands of people and create products that improve average living conditions.
“To ensure that exchange rate policy harmonises with our goals of optimal growth and job creation driven by industrial, agricultural and infrastructural expansion, we will work with the Central Bank and the financial sector to carefully review and better optimise the exchange rate regime. Our economic policies shall be guided by our desire for a stronger, more stable Naira founded upon a vibrant and productive real economy”, he said.
On foreign debt, Tinubu said the country can protect its exchange rate, “guard against inflation and preserve foreign currency reserves” by limiting its exposure to large debt obligations denominated in foreign currency.
“Our administration will engage in extraordinary prudence in contracting debt in foreign currency. Our policy will be such that new foreign currency debt obligations will be linked to projects that generate cash flows from which the debt can be repaid.
“Where possible, we shall limit such foreign currency-denominated debts to essential expenditures that cannot be adequately addressed by either naira-denominated expenditures or debt obligations”, he added.
Tinubu also outlined “policy options for healthcare, digital economy, women empowerment, judicial reform, federalism/decentralisation of power and foreign policy.
He also promised huge investments in sports entertainment and culture, youth empowerment and entrepreneurship, to expand jobs and opportunities for millions of Nigerian youths.
“Our nation’s history affirms that our people constitute our most valuable treasure. Whether the hardworking farmer, the industrious market woman, the dynamic young entrepreneur or the hopeful child, Nigerian people rank among the best anywhere. They excel in every aspect of human endeavour when given a fair chance.
“Senator Shettima and I have traversed every part of our beloved nation, listening to the concerns of our fellow citizens. Young and old, poor and rich, educated and uneducated, Christian and Muslim; all have expressed their views and concerns. People do not seek superficial answers to hard questions. Nor do they want the broken, unimaginative, failed promises repackaged and fed to them again. They want true and innovative solutions which address the challenging realities of today.
“Our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) was founded on the premise that the people of our beloved country are entitled to the benefits that only progressive good governance can procure”, he said.
According to the APC presidential candidate, having listened to the yearnings of the people, he is emboldened to change their stories for good the same way he did in Lagos State as governor for eight years while putting together the best team.
“When I was governor of Lagos, my team and I developed institutions and policies that changed the face of the state. It became a safe place for its residents and an engine of prosperity for all those willing to work in pursuit of their economic dreams. What my team and I achieved in Lagos, together we all can achieve for Nigeria. Our objective is to foster a new society based on shared prosperity, tolerance, compassion, and the unwavering commitment to treating each citizen with equal respect and due regard”, he said.
Tinubu noted that the total transformation of Nigeria can be achieved, building on the foundation laid by the present APC administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
On security which he affirms to be the “bedrock of a prosperous and democratic society”, Tinubu said his administration will make it a fundamental responsibility to protect the lives and property of its citizens by mobilising the country’s national security, military and law enforcement assets to protect all Nigerians from danger and from the fear of danger.
“The current government has made important inroads. When it came into office, the Buhari government met a situation in which terrorists had planted their flags and claimed Nigerian territory as their own. The Buhari government eliminated these incursions against our national sovereignty, bringing peace to many areas. Thousands of formerly displaced people have returned home to rebuild their lives.”
Tinubu recalled meeting a tough security problem when he assumed office as governor of Lagos State in 1999, revealing the Herculean task he surmounted.
“When I entered office as governor of Lagos, the state was crime-ridden. Safety was uncertain. The population was fearful. With bold, no-nonsense crime prevention reform and creative institution building, we won back our state. It became a safe and secure place to live and to do business. I shall bring the same determined, problem-solving spirit to solving insecurity at the national level.
“Our administration will be committed to permanently securing the safety, freedom and prosperity of all Nigerians”, he said.
To achieve this, he promised in his Action Plan to further equip the armed forces with more modern hardware and needed technological support, even as he also said police will be reformed to fully take responsibility for internal security.
“Police reform will be focused on positioning the institution to better deliver on its primary duties of community policing and maintaining law and order through crime fighting and prevention.
“Police personnel will be freed from extraneous duties such as VIP security and guard duties. VIP security and provision of security for government buildings, installations and other critical assets will be transferred to The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). The NSCDC shall be evaluated and reformed to be better integrated with our internal security apparatus”, he said.
The APC Presidential Candidate assured Nigerians that his administration will focus on the massive and unprecedented 4th industrial revolution, helping the youth to be transformed from job seekers to job providers.
“The country does not need fancy promises or foreign experiments. Nigerians seek sustained progress and reform through stable governance and proven leadership.
“We need true and innovative solutions that address the specific challenges of each of our 36 states and our over 200 million people. We need our own Miracle on the Niger River”, he added.
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