Many Federal lawmakers may dump PDP for APC soon - Lai Mohammed

The senator representing the Lagos Central Senatorial District, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, has predicted electoral victory for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming general elections.

Lai Mohammed, APC

Senator Tinubu, who spoke at the 10th Town Hall Meeting of the senatorial district held in Lagos yesterday, assured the audience that the APC would usher in change and engineer development across the country in 2015.

Her position was reinforced by the party’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, who was optimistic that theAPC would form government at the centre next year. He was a guest speaker at the event.

Muhammed based his assumption on what he called the growing popularity of the party across the country in less than one year of its registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He said:“In 2007, they gave us only one governor. But six years after, we now have 16 governors. In the House of Representatives, we have majority. In the next two or three weeks, about eight or 10 PDP members will join the APC in the House of Representatives.”

Urging Nigerians to reject the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the polls, Muhammed alleged that the PDP members in government spent N49 billion on medical treatment abroad last year. He promised an APC federal government would not allow such reckless spending.

In her address, Mrs. Tinubu stated that by the grace of God and with your active support, the APC will continue to gather momentum and lead Nigerians to a new democratic dawn.

She said: “As you are all aware, the wind of change from the APC is also blowing through the National Assembly and indeed, the entire country. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) granted our collective request for registration of the APC on July 30, 2013”.

The senator recalled that on September 17, 2013, a letter formally announcing the birth of the APC and the status of senators of merged parties was read on the floor of the senate.

“Now, there is no looking back as we strive towards building a strong and enduring democracy”, she said.

On her activities in the senatorial district, Mrs. Tinubu reported that ”last year, we got constituency projects ranging from N15 million to N21 million in education”. She gave the names of the schools that benefitted as follows: Jibowu High School, N21m; Banjo Primary Scool, Otumara-Ilogbo in Ebute Metta, N20m; Ansar Ud Deen Primary School, Oke Popo, Lagos Island, N15m; and The Holy Trinity Primary School, Ebute Ero, Lagos, N15m – the project was later transferred to Teslim Elias Primary School, Oja-Oba in Isale Eko due to space constraints at the former.

“The construction and furnishing of one block of three classrooms and VIP toilet at Ire-Akari Primary School, Orile, Apapa Iganmu and Christ Cathederal Church Primary School, CMS, Lagos have been completed and we expect that work should be concluded at other project sites in due course,” she said.

She said the pioneer trainees under the Youth Empowerment and Skills Acquisition Scheme (YESAS) were given a business start-up kit and a sum of N20,000 each to begin business.

“In January, this year, the balance of N20,000 was paid to 160 beneficiaries and four additional persons were given N40,000 each, bringing the total beneficiaries to 164,” she said.

Mrs. Tinubu reported that the bank account of each of the 26 beneficiaries under the ongoing Post-Secondary School Scholarship (PSSS) was credited with the annual sum of N100,000 on November 1, 2013.

She explained further: “Under our Good Boys’ Programme, my intention was to empower 80 of our young men who are at the crossroad of life. On Monday, July 22, 2013, we empowered 43 of the Good Boys in the Lagos Central Senatorial District to enable them have a steady source of income through various commercial activities”.

The senator extended her kind gesture to another 37 of the Good Boys and Girls yesterday when they received financial assistance to enable them start a new lease of life as gainfully self-employed persons.

She told the audience that “constituency projects that I attracted to this senatorial district are ongoing, although I have drawn attention to the delays at the Drug Rehabilitation Centre in Gedegede and the ultramodern market project in Oke-Ira.

Dignitaries on the occasion included Ojora of Ijoraland, Oba Fatai Aromire; wife of Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola; Prince Abiodun Ogunleye; Chairman, Apapa Local Government, Mr Ayodeji Joseph; Alhaji Mutiu Are; Col Rafiu Are (rtd); Alhaja Abba Folawiyo and Alhaji Musiliu Folami. They also included white cap chiefs, market men and women. (0)

Many Federal lawmakers may dump PDP for APC soon - Lai Mohammed