Reps’ caucus calls for renewed optimism in 2022

JONAS EZIEKE, Abuja

The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives felicitates with Nigerians on the occasion of the New Year, urging them to put behind the gloom of the past and approach the year 2022 with greater optimism and faith for a better Nigeria again.

The caucus further charges Nigerians to come into 2022 with thanksgiving to God and reinforced zeal as the year brings us nearer to the end of the calamitous era of an incompetent, suppressive and anti-people administration in our country.

Indeed, the New Year presents us with the occasion to triumph over all divisive tendencies, overcome our fears and rekindle the bond of unity, love, tolerance, mutual respect and understanding towards one another as we prepare for the task ahead.

More importantly, the Minority caucus counsels the APC-led Federal Government to be remorseful for its failures, use the New Year for deeper introspection, change its corrupt ways and focus on the wellbeing of the people ahead of its exit in 2023.

The APC administration should take urgent steps to tackle poverty, unemployment, high costs and infrastructural retrogression by growing our productive sector and allowing hard working and creative Nigerians, especially the youths to meaningfully engage, instead of resorting to false performance claims. It should also have a rethink on its borrowing spree and reckless accumulation of debts, which have placed a huge economic burden on our nation.

Furthermore, the APC-led government should end its lip service and adopt proactive measures to decisively tackle escalated acts of terrorism under its watch. Our citizens have suffered a lot and the New Year should usher in a new lease of life.

As representatives of the people, the Minority caucus remains unwavering in our insistence on accountability and delivery in all sectors of our national life.

In that regard, our caucus has set out strategic templates for enactment of critical legislations as well as intensified oversight activities to ensure greater productivity, check corruption, plug all areas of waste and see to it that budgeted resources are used only for the wellbeing of the people and development of our country.

The Minority caucus remains resolute on issues related to the amendment of the Electoral Act and other matters geared towards credible, free and fair elections that will, in 2023, usher in a government that truly derive from the people and have their wellbeing at heart. In this task, all hands must be on the deck.

The Minority Caucus Leader Hon. Ndudi Elumelu again congratulates Nigerians and wishes the nation a prosperous, peaceful and more rewarding New Year.

Meanwhile ,as Nigeria joins the rest of the world in celebrating the New Year, the Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Toby Okechukwu, says an improved electoral system is critical to the nation’s quest for good governance and accelerated national development.

He described 2022 as a critical year in Nigeria’s democratic development and called on the All Progressives Congress (APC) government to show commitment and a sense of priority towards electoral reform and leave a legacy of credible elections.

Okechukwu, who observed that all the electoral reforms currently enjoyed by the country were done under successive Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administrations, regretted that there had been no value addition to the nation’s electoral system over the six and half years of the APC government in spite of their control of both chambers of the National Assembly.

He said, instead, the nation’s lot under the current administration remained inconclusive elections, voter apathy, electoral violence, ambush of successive Electoral Act amendments, and padded primary election figures that so not reflect reality.

“As 2022 dawns, therefore, the onus is on the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration to prioritise electoral reform and leave our electoral system better than it met it.

“It is regrettable that a party, which came to power on the strengths of electoral reforms, democratic temperaments and free electoral climate engendered by PDP administrations has refused to add value to the system either in the amendment to the Constitution or the Electoral Act.

“The quest for improved electoral system cannot be a battle we regularly have to fight. The President, who has been hired to do a job should simply do so and leave Nigeria better than he met it”, he said.

The lawmaker, who represents Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency, equally assured that the National Assembly would, on its part, take steps on the Electoral Act Repeal and Re-enactment Bill immediately upon resumption.

“We will do the needful on resumption in spite of the ambush and uncanny timing of refusal of assent on the day the Assembly was due for Christmas break.

“I wish Nigerians a happy New Year and we remain supremely confident in the efforts to rescue Nigeria from its present chaotic state marked by insecurity, economic hardship, and widening fault lines”, he concluded.

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