From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Former Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi has assured Nigerians that if the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) comes to power in 2023, it will restore sanity in Nigeria.
Senator Makarfi who is the former National Chairman of PDP said that the insecurity bedeviling the country was confined to the Northeast when the party was in power but it has escalated to all parts of the country under the ruling All Progressives Congress ( APC).
Speaking in an interview with the BBC Hausa on Friday, Makarfi appealed to Nigerians to give PDP the chance in 2023 so as to rectify anomalies.
He noted that insecurity has now worsened the situation; pointing out that in 2015 when PDP was in power, even though there was insecurity in the Northeast they took measures to surmount the problem because they even conducted elections in the troubled region.
He observed that people’s living standard could hardly be enhanced when virtually everything they needed was been imported into the country.
“Any country that depends on import is in a problem, and that is the situation in Nigeria.
“Government should have come up with a process that will encourage production of different products, those that would be consumed and even for export.
“Doing so would make our currency, the Naira to be strong and that would boost the economy. Now people find it difficult to partake in farming and commerce; even to relate with one another,” he said.
He expressed doubt on whether the forthcoming 2023 election would take place in some places because of insecurity.
“Look at what the Northwest region has turned into, that is the situation in the North central and in the South. In Nigeria today farming has become difficult, it’s so difficult to trade, even to relate is difficult. Doing so many things have become so difficult. ”
He said in Kaduna State there were threats not to campaign in some communities which would affect election , something that had never happened before.
Senator Makarfi said only a forthright leadership would bring an end to these problems.
” If the problems were inherited in the Northeast, you rectify the problem but instead, it has now escalated.
“This borders on leadership because money is being given. When money is given and the person in position did well he should be rewarded. But if he fails to you are the leader and knows what to do immediately”. He said.