Chuks Okocha and Juliana Taiwo
16 November 2008
Abuja — The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is to work with the African National Congress (ANC) to use democratic governance as vehicle to take the continent to the league of developed nations, President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has said.
Speaking at the fund raising dinner organised by the PDP in Abuja Friday night to raise N10 billion for its national secretariat project, the President said the party was currently reaching out to other parties like the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa with which it shares common responsibility to ensure that democracy brings Africa out of its present underdevelopment to a state where every African in the continent will be proud to be part of.
The President's speech was given on the heels of clarification by the President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, that he did not pledge a-N3 billion worth of cement to the party towards the building of its secretariat. The businessman said his pledge was to supply the cement that the building committee would need to complete the project.
President Yar'Adua also said the PDP was in the process of transformation to make it not only a machinery or a platform to win elections but a national institution carrying the burden to contribute to the development of democracy in Nigeria and Africa.
"PDP as a political party will continue to ensure that it becomes a policy and content generating institution. As such, the party is poised to grow in stature, to ensure that it establishes a research arm, it employs leading economists, research fellows in all field of human endeavour, that will at a continuous basis study and evaluate the economic progress in this country.
"It will continue to evaluate and study the policies and programmes that PDP governments will need to be implemented in other to ensure that it makes its contributions to the transformation of this country and to the realisation of our national development. It will have under its employment experts and fellows in international relations that will continue to research into the current policies, relations and international role that the country will play so that this will form the basis for the policies that will be adopted by a PDP government when in power", he said.
Yar'Adua assured that the secretariat would "stand tall and proud in the central district of Abuja; it will dominate the environment as a shrine for democracy in Nigeria", he said.
He added: "Therefore I want to tell all those who are contributing to this historical project that you are contributing to a historical course that will transform this country and call on other members of the PDP should make their contribution, no contribution is too small. I assure you on behalf of the party that this national secretariat will be used for the purpose of the development of this nation", he said.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Vice President, said apart from building a befitting secretariat, some of the funds realised will be invested to ensure the party is financially dependent.
"A great party like the PDP cannot live from hand to mouth, and depend on the goodwill of elective office holders to execute the simplest of tasks. Any political party worth its name should be able to pay its own bills. This is the only way political parties can fiercely guard their independence. If we do not evolve a culture of independence for political parties, our electoral reforms would remain mere wishful thinking. A party can only be realistic agent of censure for the executive if it is strong and financially viable.
"Even social clubs are able to raise funds, invest in the profitable ventures and save money for not only the rainy day, but for their day to day activities. There is no doubt that the PDP must lead the way of financial independence for other political parties to follow. The time is now. This administration's commitment to reforms is total. And as the party in power, we must signal the way to the future", he said.
Jonathan also said from the template developed, the highest political officer holder - the President Umaru Yar'Adua is to pay N527,205 (representing 15% of basic salary), the Vice President - N454,735, Senate President - N372,636.38, Speaker - N371,566, Senators - N303,960, Governors - N333,555.75 and Councilors N142,114.75 to be paid over the next six months. The final collection is in April 2009.
The otherwise colourful event almost turned sour as security aides attached to the governors of the party openly clashed with security officials from the Presidential Villa over the refusal of the latter to allow the aides of the governors into the venue of the fund raising dinner with their principals.
Also several top members of the party were refused entry by the security officials from the Villa on ground that they were not properly identified.
All the invitation cards were said to be issued from the office of the Vice President and this made it impossible for members of the party to get hold of the invitation cards.
From 6 p.m, the security aides from the statehouse who manned the gate were heard shouting on top of their voices "we have our orders, if you have no invitation card, there is no way we can let you in."
The security men therefore refused many members of the party entry into the venue of the fund raising.
Even some of the Protocol Aides of the PDP national chairman, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor were not allowed inside the venue of the fund raising dinner. The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Prof. Ahmed Rufai Alkali could not help the situation, as he told THISDAY, "the invitation cards were managed by the office of the Vice President."
The occasion was like a jamboree as almost all the PDP governors attended except the governors of Ogun, Oyo, Osun and Benue states. Also absent was the Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
In his speech, the national chairman of PDP, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor said the party needed a befitting national headquarters, because of its pioneering role in institutionalising democracy.
He used the occasion to appeal to elected office holders who are members of the to implement the manifesto of the party, as this is the only way to sell the party further to Nigerians.
Ogbulafor also commended the good relationship existing between the National Assembly and the Executive arm, describing it as one of the outcome of reconciliation embarked by the National Working Committee (NWC) under his leadership. He pledged to use his administration as the national chairman of PDP to internalise democracy within the party, while also promising to make PDP a bench mark for democracy in Africa.
Dangote who was reacting to earlier reports on the fund raising said he promised to donate bags of cements which would be sufficient to build the secretariat.
He said it would be reckless for anybody to believe that he could promise to donate N3 billion worth of cement for one building project.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 This Day. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
