Governors elected on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari behind closed-door at the Presidential Villa, said it was time for the party to take full responsibility for the challenges facing the country.
Speaking with State House correspondents after the meeting, Chairman of the All Progressives Governors Forum and Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, stated that the party cannot continue to shift blame for the nation’s woes, saying it was time to take responsibility.
According to him, the challenges presently facing the country predate the APC coming to power.
“This was not a problem brought by APC government, it is a problem that existed long before APC came to government and we are only trying to clear the mess of the past.
“But we must take responsibility and we must never shift the responsibility to anybody, APC you are responsible for everything happening in Nigeria, we are responsible, the good, the bad, the ugly but we are promising Nigerians that we shall fix it,” Okorocha said.
While appealing for more patience, Okorocha said the present APC-led government was doing everything possible to solve the challenges and end the sufferings of Nigerians.
“There is no surgery that is not painful. Nigeria is going through a very serious economic surgery and that is the pains we are experiencing. We share the pains of Nigerians; every human being must feel it.
“We also feel what they are going through, but we are asking for a little patience. Let us do things the right way and do it once and for all.
“I am sure that by next year, you will begin to see changes. The price of rice will drop, prices of dollars will begin to stabilise and we will see a lot of changes. But at this painful moment, nobody likes it.”
Okorocha said the APC Governors Forum also commended the President for his agriculture policy that is now producing result in terms of bumper harvest in most part of the country, especially in rice production and other food items.
He said the policy should be sustained, while funding policy by Central Bank of Nigeria regarding anchor borrowers should be encouraged to yield desired results.
“In the next couple of years, Nigeria would be self-sufficient in agriculture and would not need to import anymore food product into this country. That is a great achievement,” the governor said.
Okorocha also said the President was encouraged to continue with the fight against corruption in the country.
“We know that in the pursuit of good programmes, certain lapses will be noticed and there is nothing wrong in pursuing a good course. We encouraged and thanked him for the efforts he is making to move this country forward,” he said.
On whether the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun should resign his position over the controversy on the Ondo State gubernatorial primary, Okorocha said such matter was not discussed.
He said rather than talk about resignation, it was time to concentrate on rebuilding the party to make it stronger.
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