Henry Umoru
31 December 2008
THE Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) said yesterday that if the country must achieve its set target of becoming one of the largest twenty economies of the world, there was the urgent need for President Umaru Yar'Adua to show more commitment to deliver on his seven-point agenda.
According to the party, all the opposition parties in the country must resolve to come together in 2009 and form a formidable opposition that would give the Peoples Democratic Party a run for its money in 2011, adding that what is happening in Ghana should be enough lesson for us.
In a statement tagged New year Message and made available to journalists in Abuja yesterday, PPA's Deputy National Chairman (South), Olu Akerele urged the government to show more respect for the human rights of the citizens and adhere strictly to the principles of the rule of law.
Part of the statement reads, "We wish all Nigerians a happy and prosperous New Year. But even as we celebrate, we need to do some sober reflections on how well our country has fared in the last one year and make projections for the coming year.
Last year was a mixed one for our country in both the economic and political fronts. But the government must make sure that our country makes maximum gains in the coming year.
"This year, the government must ensure the implementation of the report of the Electoral Reform Committee and ensure the amendment of relevant sections of our Constitution in a manner that would strengthen our democracy.
This is the time to get ready for the 2011 election, which must be free, fair and credible. We cannot afford to put our country to shame in the next general election.
"The government must intensify the war against corruption and fix the economy. The downward slide of the naira and spiralling unemployment must be halted without delay.
The government must show more respect for the human rights of the citizens and adhere strictly to the principles of the rule of law. President Umaru Yar'Adua must show more commitment to deliver on his seven-point agenda. Nigerians are tired of excuses by a government, which promised so much when it came to power in 2007".
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Vanguard. 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.
