Of APC, PDP And Endless Bickering Over Project Initiation, Completion

As I’ve always maintained only shortsighted people see the Nigerian situation through the prism of PDP versus APC. They are the same bunch of political class, all angling for their interest just as they are currently locking horns screaming ‘give me ticket or I die’. Only a few stand out and the people know them.

But for the purposes of this intervention over claims by both parties on projects initiation and completion let me try to deliberately make a distinction.

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Today the PDP has turned out to be a party of project initiators. They initiated several projects but did not complete them. Whenever president Buhari commissions any project they cry out ‘ it’s our own’

These include Abuja-Kaduna Rail, the just commissioned; Port Harcourt Airport international Terminal, the Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri Railway Line to Abuja, the Abuja Rail Mass Transit System, Inner Southern Expressway (ISEX) Nassarawa and many others.

As it were, so many projects were initiated by the PDP for sixteen years without being completed.

I recall in the Obasanjo days when I joined other journalists including Onyebuchi Ezeigbo of Thisday, David Agba then of Leadership and others which later metamorphosed into Papalanto 11 to cover the ground breaking ceremony of power projects in places like Geregu and Papalanto. They were indeed great and lofty initiatives.

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But later events showed that many of 2400 MW Power Supply project they initiated were either out rightly abandoned or treated with no seriousness in a country where power should be on emergency list.

It is the APC that has now completed some of those projects amounting to about 7000MW.

If the PDP was sincere and committed to nation building why did it flounder on these key projects?

Why is it now crying over any of those projects which President Buhari is now completing and commissioning?

Why is it taking just three and half years for the APC to complete almost all of the so called PDP – initiated Projects?

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And since government is a continuum why is it so difficult for PDP to accept the reality that it was incumbent on the APC to continue and complete the good projects they had initiated. If for anything, they should commend the APC for completing their projects.

If it is indeed a glorious thing to complete and commission projects why didn’t the PDP show more commitment to these projects so that they will take the glory as they now badly would want.

I’m not in any way saying that projects should be rushed and done shabbily, but the lesson here for me is that whatever you want to do , as the Master, Jesus said ‘do quick!’

The PDP seemed to be so relaxed while it was in power, forgetting that Nigerians were laboring and in pains to see infrastructure development in all spheres of national life.

Even their national Secretariat at the central area was abandoned despite the humongous amount that rolled into individual pockets.

So, whether justly or unjustly, the APC/ Buhari are now shining with the projects PDP started. The truth is that it’s not who began a work that really takes the glory, but those who follow through till the end. Even our Lord Jesus said it is those who endure till the end that will be saved.

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I recall that there was the 22 studio complex project at the FRCN headquarters. And administrations after administrations came and treated it with kid gloves, it was more or less an abandoned project. AS Union leader, I told some DGs then of the need to open up the gigantic complex to save staff from the suffocating temporary studio on the 12th floor of Radio House with the attendant breakdown of lifts, but they never thought it was a priority until Dr. Ladan Salihu came on board and took the bull by the horn.

Today, his achievement in that regard stands him out. That is leadership. Incidentally Dr. Salihu operated for the most part under the PDP government, an attestation to my earlier position that it’s not about the party but about individuals who are committed to bringing about change and delivering on the platform of good governance.

The truth is that there are ‘performers’ as we say in both the PDP and the APC just as there are bad eggs in both parties.

So, I advise the PDP that instead of crying over President Buhari’s streaks of project completion and commissioning, they should make good use of opportunities if they ever find themselves in power again.

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Disclaimer: This article is entirely the opinion of the writer and does not represent the views of The Whistler.

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