“We have a number of challenges. We started as a dominant political party in 1999 and since then, we have been receding.
“I think it is time for us to take stock and find out why we are receding and how we can make sure that our eminent position as the leading political party in this country, as the oldest political party in this country, we regain our position.
“This is a very important challenge which I think requires a whole day seminar for us as a party to ensure that we regain our eminent position in the politics of this country and the whole of Africa.”
These were the words of the Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 25 election, Atiku Abubakar at a programme welcome/reception of PDP governors-elect and send forth of the past PDP Governors’ Forum (PDP-GF) chairmen in Abuja.
Atiku, who served as Nigeria’s Vice President on the platform of the same PDP, regretted that the PDP formed in 1999 as a dominant political party, is passing through challenges that must be addressed.
He therefore, strongly advised party members to rise up and revamp the party to regain its eminent and dominant leadership role in Nigeria and Africa.
Atiku congratulated all the governors-elect and those re-elected on the platform of the party, asking all party members to be united and determined in the party effort to reclaim its mandate at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT).
The programme with the theme: “Good Governance at the Sub-national level: Issues, Perspectives, Expectations and Outcomes” was organised by the PDP-GF.

Snail-Speed work on Calabar-Ita, Cross River State, is threatening the take off of the Odupkani industrial park, put together by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
The industrial park, which is believed to have the capacity of leading the country to full industrialisation, is currently cut-off by almost un-motorable road network from Uyo end, in Akwa Ibom State. Report reaching us at Greenbarge Reporters online newspaper and hardcopy magazine, said that contractors have returned to site, clearing the road and fixing some bridges.
It was gathered that though work is ongoing but that with the return of the rainy season, not much might be done to meet up with the fast pace the industrial village is spriging up.
A team of online publishers, drawn from the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) who were on a guided tour of the project, confirmed that the over 100 kilometres of the road which stretches from Calabar in Cross River State to Itu in Akwa-Ibom State has been neglected by successive governments for over 20 years.
A motorist, who pleaded anonymous, expressed regret that the road, which has attracted budgetary approvals for repairs by four successive Federal government authorities, has remained unattended to.
He said that the first budget to fix the road was passed during the former President Olusegun Obasanjo regime.
“But it was unattended to in spite of the budget.
“When nothing came out of the Obasanjo regime’s budget proposal, the former President Goodluck Jonathan administration came and also captured it in one of their annual budgets.
“This also did not achieve anything. This ritual moved to the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. “President Buhari included the road in two annual budgets during his first term in office between 2015 and 2019; but no work was done. “The same administration captured the road in the budgets of 2020, 2021, and 2023. This is 2023, you can see that the road is still a nightmare for motorists.”
He expressed pain that the road, which serves the economic needs of the people of both Akwa-Ibom and Cross River States, could pose a major threat to the NCDMD’s industrial park under construction as it is not likely that serious investors would take up any space there with the road as presently is.
The Park is a masterpiece that was well-thought out by the NCDMB to ramp up the manufacturing capacity of indigenous hands with the aim of kick-starting manufacturing of inputs for real industrialisation of Nigeria.

Nigeria’s first oil and gas park will soon begin to operate in Odupkani in Cross River State, even as more of it kind are similarly rising up in different parts of the Niger Delta part of the country.
The Parks are being put together by the Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board (NCDMB) to save the country from cash flight through foreign oil and gas companies.
The Director of Corporate Communications of NCDMB, Engineer Ginah O. Ginah, who spoke today, May 11, during a media tour of the park located in Odukpani, Cross River State, said: “this park is ready for habitation.

“We have already advertised for interested manufacturers and are presently going through applications to see those who are qualified.”
Engr Ginah said that all needed facilities have been provided to make the place conducive for the manufacturers.
The facilities include manufacturing hall, security, roads, 24-hour power supply, banking hall, restaurant, and state-of-the-art ICT facilities. Others include fire service, water treatment plant, mini parks for accommodation and free land for those who wish to build their own structures.
“All these are things that increase cost of production. So, this park is going to crash the cost of production.”
Engr. Ginah said that the facility, located on 25 hectares of land will go a long way to save the country some foreign exchange in billion of dollars.
He said that the Federal Government has encouraged the rapid take off of the project with a pledge of $50m to attract companies to the parks.
Engr Ginah said that several other such parks are under construction across the Niger Delta as part of NCDMB’s efforts to significantly increase local content in the oil and gas industry and generally drive Nigeria’s industrialisation.
“We have taken Nigeria’s local content level from 5% to 55%. The industry spends about $20 billion a year, so you are talking of about $10 billion saved annually.”
Engr Ginah stressed that NCDMB’s goal is to take the local content in the industry up to 70 percent by 2027.
“The only way to achieve that is to ensure local manufacturing of components, which is why we are building these parks.”