Chief Chikwas Okorie, the National Chairman of United Progressive Party (UPP), has called on the Federal Government to adopt restructuring in addressing the challenges facing Nigerians. Okorie, who made the appeal in Awka on Monday, said things had not worked well in Nigeria because of the inability of the political class to do things right. He said that with restructuring things could get better.
“At 57, Nigeria represents everything that is not equity, justice and fairness; that is why we are talking of restructuring of the country that is why UPP went for a revolutionary agenda as contained in our amended manifesto,’’ Okorie said.
He said that every Nigerian must be seen as equal and treated as such if things must move forward. Chief Chris Ejike, the Deputy National Chairman of UPP, Southern zone, said Nigerians should have a rethink over their uncritical support for some political parties. According to Ejike, there are some parties, whose agenda are rather retrogressive to the development of the nation.
He said that the citizens should not sheepishly support parties during elections. “For a party to drive the course of development in a nation, it must first start with the blueprint of such party and the candidates to drive such agenda.
“In Anambra for instance, UPP presented Chief Osita Chidoka, the former Corps Marshall of Federal Road Safety Commission and former Aviation Minister as her governorship candidate ahead of Nov. 18 election.
“When you look at the pedigree of Chidoka, you will see the UPP gave Anambra a presidential material as governorship candidate, this is the way other political parties must go if we must get things right as a nation,’’ he said.
Ejike urged Anambra people not to wish away their opportunity to elect a credible leader on the altar incumbency. “UPP is neither controlling Anambra nor the centre but UPP’s choice neutralises the incumbency factor,” he said.
The deputy national chairman used the occasion to call on President Mohammadu Buhari to adopt dialogue in dealing with the issues raised by Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
“Dialogue should be the approach in handling the IPOB matter.
“There are a lot of Nigerians with diplomatic knowledge to handle this kind of problem, aside the agitation by IPOB there are agitations from other areas and these cannot be tackled with military option,’’ he said.
Ejike said that as a senior citizen who witnessed the Nigerian civil war, “my prayer for this nation is not for another war to come in this nation.
“As an Igboman and a chieftain of UPP, I strongly believe in Nigeria and do not want its failure, I say this because Igbos have invested in all parts of this nation more than another tribe.
“All what is fueling the agitation are things that the political class know but do not want to apply for reasons not very clear to genuine leaders in this nation,’’ he said.
(Source: NAN)