Few days to the convention to pick the presidential flag-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2023 elections, one of the aspirants, Dr Nwachukwu Anakwenze, has recorded a major breakthrough with the party’s delegates from the South West.
The Director General of the Nwachukwu Anakwenze Campaign Organisation, Chief Eric Oluwole, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the statement, the DG and the Southwest coordinators of the campaign organization, recorded this breakthrough with the party’s delegates in all the six Southwest states of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, andEkiti states, came “after a serious engagement with the delegates in the region.”
Anakwenze, who reportedly spoke during his final tour after meeting with some of the delegates in Ibadan, the region’s political capital, sought their support by voting en masse for him at the party’s forthcoming convention in Abuja
Oluwole promised that his principal “is ready to change the country into a new Nigeria.”
He said that Anakwenze and the campaign team have been received warmly across the nation during the last minute trip to ensure that delegates elect him as the party’s presidential candidate at the convention.
According to him, he went round the country with his 12-point agenda promising to restructure Nigeria into a true and balanced federation, regionalise and devolve powers expressed in a new constitution if elected.
Specifically, the American based medical doctor who unfolded his agenda last week, had pledged that while in power, he would vigorously pursue his 12-point agenda, which is entitled “Hope for Nigeria in brief.”
He promised to eliminate corruption; develop real security throughout Nigeria; focus on youth and women development and economic empowerment; make the schools safe and overhaul the Education System; and create a Nigeria that would enjoy 24/7 electric and renewable energy.
Also, he vowed to create jobs; develop a world standard health Care System; revive agriculture; steer the country towards rapid industrial revolution; develop tourism; improve Nigeria’s image; and “implement Restructuring, Regionalization and Devolution of Powers expressed in a new Nigerian constitution.”
Anakwenze said: “Our agenda is, we want a true democracy in Nigeria beginning with freedom for fellow Nigerians and by extension, Africa, as a whole; a Nigeria where the various ethnic groups feel that they have a stake in the future of the country.
“We envision a Nigeria where leadership is based on merit; hard work , fairness for all and accountability the measure of our national character.
“We envision a United Nigeria in a true sense of the word “United”, where every Nigerian feels a sense of belonging and not marginalized; where the governed have trust in the governance and the governed truly believe that they can vote, and be voted in to serve understand the true meaning of “public trust” ; the country where regardless of one’s ethnic and/or religious backgrounds, all must feel that they are part of the equation.
“We envision a Nigeria where ethnic diversity is seen as strength and asset to be harnessed and celebrated as part of our rich heritage.
“Equity, fairness and Justice should be the guiding principle for a just society that we envision. We want a Nigeria where the majority’s right is balanced with the minority’s right.
“Nigerians should believe in healthy competitive excellence that is the hallmark of great nations.
“Let’s make our children superstars through competitions and excellence with the rest of the world. Our children are equal to the task of making Nigeria great.
“Nigerian children in America rank between 1%-5% in academics or job performances. Our children are equal to the task. They only need our support and encouragement.
“We need a Nigerian nation where North and South, Christian and Moslem love each other. God said love your neighbour as yourself.”
He said: “God blessed Nigeria with Human, Mineral and Natural resources. We have all kinds of foods: rice, beans, yam, plantain banana, plantain, wheat, millet, ginger, garlic, animals such as fish, chickens and cows.
“We have been blessed with solid minerals such as iron, tin, copper, silver, diamond, gold, bauxite rock (aluminum).
“Nigeria has 12 gifts from God, Europe 4, America 4 and Japan zero in terms of natural endowment.
“Americans and Europians are dying from Covid 19 at about 3,000 per day but Nigeria has almost zero deaths.
“There are no earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, wild fires and massive flood in Nigeris.
“Nigeria is truly blessed by God but our only problem is lack of good leaders. We have the worst leaders in this world. We need good leadership to make Nigeria into what God intended for us – a major world power.”
Anakwenze asked Nigerians rhetorically if they are “happy with Nigeria’s present bad leaders and leadership,” the “state of the economy, security, corruption or the future prospect of (their) children.”
In his words: “With respect to our youths, one of the major determinants of good governance and sustainable development is the extent to which the government is able to create an enabling environment for its human capital development.
“The reality about Nigeria is that, in spite of the cost of formal education and its attendant difficulties, the prospect of employment is less promising.
“Overall, there is an obvious mismatch between the university graduate turnout rate and the graduate employment rate in Nigeria thus reinforcing that sense of hopelessness amongst the youth and increase in criminal activities.
“This is why youth development is a priority for us. It has been our vision to continue to stress the need for youth development in the areas of character education, building and remolding of the future workforce.
“Our Nigerian youth are brilliant, very talented and very good with computers but they need our help.”
“Our present generation of youths has been destroyed by our current corrupt system of government and they are working on destroying future grand children or our great grandchildren.
“I am a simple man that is driven by the desire to give the youth, the nation’s children while growing up a sense of self-worth and the belief that the sky is the limit when it comes to the ability to excel. It’s always good to take a stand for what you believe in. Our country is snappishly divided across sections.
“It’s time we reflect on the great Martin Luther King Junior’s quote: “We either succeed together as brothers and sisters, or perish together as fools.”
He said: “Our agenda is simple. We will break down all the barriers that hold any Nigerian from achieving their dreams. Our goal is “One United Nigeria”, irrespective of what part of Nigeria one comes from, your religion and /or creed, our movement stands with you.
Our movement calls for a clean, credible person of substance that is tribal blind to lead Nigeria to a successful and prosperous future. People see Dr. Nwachukwu Anakwenze as that person; the “HOPE FOR NIGERIA.”
Anakwenze gave details of the 12-point agenda as follows:
-We want a President that will strive to eliminate corruption by “you chop, I chop politicians” and civil servants. We must stop the cut, chop and share of the political looting system. This is why investors are staying away from Nigeria and going to other counties.
-The development of real security throughout Nigeria. We need to better train and equip our security personnel. We need to use security intelligence mechanism to pursue the bandits and terrorists. We will start with dialogue and proceed to aggressive force if needed. We will upgrade and train the security personnel as needed. We will utilize modern technology such as helicopters and armed drones to fight these terrorists.
-Hope for a President that will focus on youth and women development and hands on empowerment and harness our natural resources for the benefit of all Nigerians. We will make education affordable and free when possible, to the youths. We will provide skilled acquisition training everywhere for people who want hand skills and don’t want tertiary education for free. We will have available small business loan for business entrepreneur startups.
-Hope for a President that will make our schools safe, overhaul the Education System, train Teachers and provide conducive environment to enhance learning and maximize teaching. We will make education affordable and free when possible. We will provide free skilled acquisition training everywhere for people who want hand skills and don’t want tertiary education. We will make serious effort through dialog to stop work strikes involving schools because it hurts the education of our children.
-Hope for a President that will work aggressively towards creating a Nigeria that would enjoy 24/7 electric and renewable energy – Solar, Wind and Biomass; and encourage Public-private partnership. We would utilize a regional power system i.e., coal, gas, hydroelectric and wind in different areas. We will stop one centralized power distribution from Kanji dam for the whole Nigeria.
-Hope for a President that will create jobs and utilize all the God given endowments for the good of Nigerians and Africans. I will work my hardest to create jobs where there is no job, and every step of the way, I will work with industries to create internships that will help our young graduate currently roaming the street unemployed.
-Hope for a President that will develop a world standard health Care in Nigeria. In our administration there will not be a need for Nigerians to travel overseas for good health care. We will utilize public-private partnership in developing our modern health care system. We will create a health care system with affordable health care insurance for all Nigerians. We will bring Nigerians diaspora medical professionals to come back to help train our Nigerian doctors. In Nigeria. We will equip our major hospitals to the American standard of health care delivery.
-Hope for a President that acknowledges agriculture, as key to sustainable growth and development. As President, I will revive and revitalize the agricultural sector as source of food for the teeming population of Nigerians; as major export and foreign exchange earner; and the primary source of industrial raw materials. We will increase production of Cocoa, Ground nut, Rubber, Palm oil, Wheat and Grains. We will help promote and supply Nigerian cows throughout Africa. Our cow skin will be used to make leather shoes, bags, purses and furniture.
-Hope for a President that will steer the country towards rapid industrial revolution. We will embark on sustainable energy development through public-private partnership (PPP) to rural, small-scale and large-scale industries. Nigeria needs to stop being consumer of products only. We need to be producers and manufacturers of products as well. We have the raw materials, why are we not making tires, batteries and refrigerators? Why are we not making cars, planes, computers, ships? Our intelligent youth can be trained to do these. I prefer private sector for job growth and business expansion.
-Hope for a President that will develop tourism. We have good beaches and mountains that attract tourists. Our cultural displays, arts, clothes, music and Nollywood movies are very popular in the world.
-Hope to get a President that will improve the image of Nigeria so that we will be respected all over the world when we travel with the Nigerian passport.
-Hope for a President that will implement Restructuring, Regionalization and Devolution of Powers expressed in a new Nigerian constitution.”
He said that through his NGO named Anakwenze Care Foundation, which was established in Nigeria since 2016 for youth job creation, he has provided the following over the years: Water Bottling Plant; Fishery; Piggery; Farm Produce (banana, cassava, plantain, pineapple, tomatoes, Onions and vegetables); and Over 100 scholarships to students yearly at all levels.
