The forum of All Progressives Congress (APC) State Chairmen, has promised to work with President Bola Tinubu and Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, the party’s National Chairman to deliver democracy dividends to Nigerians.
Mr Alphonsus Ogah, the spokesperson for the forum and the Cross River APC chairman, stated this after a closed-door meeting with Ganduje on Saturday in Abuja at the party’s national secretariat.
Ogah said that the forum had visited Tinubu on a solidarity visit at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“We took the opportunity to speak on some very important national issues, we align ourselves with the efforts of the economic reforms being made by Tinubu.
“But we didn’t loose sight of letting the president to know that as good as this economic reforms are, we are concerned about the insecurity in the country.
“We are concerned about the hunger and hardship, and therefore it was a moment for us too to commend him,” Ogah said.
He said that the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira were in the best interest of the country, adding that the reality of Tinubu’s reform was the only way out of the country’s challenges.
“We commended the efforts and contributions of the president in terms of moral boost, financial support for equipment procurement and all others.
“The only added advice we brought to him is that people at the forefront should be held accountable.
“And we were very firm, but with absolute humility in telling the president that district police officers.
“Or Divisional Police Officers, Commissioners of Police, SSS, or anybody in the front line of fighting and combating crime that is either lukewarm, taciturn, reticent, in being pugnacious should please be shown the way out,” he said.
Ogah said Tinubu should wield the big stick on those who were not ready to work with him to address the country’s challenges, saying that some people were out to put the APC in a bad light.
He expressed optimism that Tinubu’s administration would begin to have a clear direction and impact on Nigerians soon.
The chairman of the forum appreciated the APC national chairman for remaining focused and staying on track, adding that the party’s state chairmen were behind him.
“He has all of us, his district political officers at the sub-nationals levels to stand with him. It is time to face reality because we have a president and a national chairman who are a progressive.
“We reminded the president that we have worked with our governors and with our various stakeholders to collate names of party faithful.
“And it was also the mantra of the president that monkey work monkey chop. Baboon no work baboon no chop. In fact, the president had told us in one of those meetings that if he catches a baboon that didn’t work coming to eat, he was personally going to arrest that baboon,” Ogah said.
Ganduje in his remarks, assured the party’s state chairmen that Tinubu would look into their request with regards to political appointments.
“He emphasised the issue of electronic registration which we have been working on with the consultant and our committee at the headquarters have gone far.
“Now we are going to the grassroots level, it will be connected across the wards of the federation, but you need to understand the recruitment of officials or personnel who will undertake the exercise.
“Because you are involved in the recruitment and you are involved in the execution of the registration,” Ganduje said.
(NAN)