The former governor of Kaduna State and presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Ahmed Makarfi, has stressed the need for institutional restructuring to strengthen Nigeria in order to deliver the dividends of democracy.
Makarfi also accused the ruling All Progressive Congress-led state government of bringing back insecurity to Kaduna, which he said, was secure when he was governor between 1999 and 2007.
Punch reports that Makarfi spoke in Ekiti State while interacting with the PDP delegates on his presidential ambition ahead of the PDP national convention to choose the party’s presidential flag bearer.
The PDP presidential aspirant promised to ensure institutional and holistic restructuring that will bring meaningful development devoid of favouritism, nepotism and ethnicism, if elected.
“First of all is the restructure of the country to make it good for everybody, restructuring of the security and creation of jobs and infrastructure development in all respects and promoting the private sector so that it can become effective employer of labour.
“Institutional restructuring that would include the police, INEC and other security apparatus to ensure they do not serve the dictates of the paymasters will be done by me. Such will prevent anomalies such as the election fraud in Ekiti during the July 14 poll.
“We have also looked at some issues protocol that we have which have negative impact in the country. Any issue of protocol that doesn’t serve national interest in terms of security we will dialogue with other country where they have got it right and restructure ours
“I have been tested and proven myself as governor of Kaduna State as selected chairman of Committee finance, my records are there and as party chairman of PDP when people are not given the chance to make the party to survive, I was able to bring everybody together and ensure that the party survived and that is why many more people are defecting to PDP and they are all welcome.
“I am straight forward person and do not say one thing in the morning and turn it another thing in the evening,” he said.
Makarfi noted that the problems of mutual distrust among tribes, poor infrastructural, economic and educational standards and others facing Nigeria were the problems facing Kaduna when he became governor.
