The Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo has declared that the twin menace of insurgency and banditry in the country will be eradicated within hundred days if he is elected President in the 2023 general election.
Prince Adebayo pointed out that within 100 days of his assumption of office, his administration will do everything possible to ensure the the issues of insurgency and banditry, which have been ravaging several parts of the nation, become a thing of the past.
The SDP presidential candidate who gave the assurance while speaking at a question and answer online programme “Symfoni”, specifically stated that within 60 days, banditry, in any and every part of the country would have been totally wiped out from the Nigerian soil.
According to him, “100 days after assuming office, Nigerians will be celebrating the departure of the twin menace of insurgency and banditry in the country.
“Within 60 days,banditry, in any and every part of rhe country would have been totally wiped out from Nigerian soil.
“If the people in my government are not trying to be billionaires, the issue of banditry will be over within 60 days.
“Terrorism is a little complex but the Boko Haram fighters can be technically chased away from Nigerian soil within 100 days, that doesn’t mean they won’t be in the region.
“The strength of these Boko Haram and bandits is the ability to reinforce. That reinforcement ability is what makes it looks like the Nigerian armed forces are not doing anything.
“They have a rapid reinforcement. If it takes you three weeks operation to dislodge them from the territory, they can use seven days to recalibrate and come back.
“So, within my first 100 days, you will be hearing Boko Haram from a long distance and the bandits, most likely will be former bandits, that is if they are alive at all”, he stated.
Prince Adebayo said as a potential President, his vision about where Nigeria is headed and how to get there is clear in his head as men and women of character and integrity to help with the New Nigeria he envisioned, are already being sought.
The PDP presidential candidate stated that unlike his contemporaries, he didnt have the luxury of having a political godfather to smoothen his path as all of them are dead, adding that, after the Almighty God, he relies on nobody.
His words, “I am not lucky with godfatherism. Unfortunately, all my godfathers are dead. Aminu Kano, if he was alive, would have been my god father. Micheal Opara would have been another god father. Mbonu Ojike, it was who said government should serve the people. He would have been my god father, if he was alive.
“If I had a god father I won’t be running. The people that would have been god fathers are the ones running against me now.”
Adebayo said two weeks after the elections have been won and lost, he will make public names of his ministers, not only for confirmation by the National Assembly, but for further scrutiny by the general public.
He said, ” I will name my ministers two weeks after the elections. I will assign portfolios to the ministers and allow Nigerians to judge them, question and interrogate them. I will meet the Service Chiefs behind closed doors to hear from them, their challenges and how it can be tackled.
“As a potential winner of the coming election, I am already speaking with them. I don’t need to wait till when I would be sworn in before taking such action. I swing into action the moment the election is won and lost”.
Prince Adebayo, a trained Lawyer and Media owner, said that he is not surprised about the sudden matching order given by the President to the Minister of Education to resolve the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), lingering strike , adding that its typical of the president.
According to him, “Its not unusual from the president to allow issues to fester before taking decision. I don’t want to be a president like that. Its better not to be a president at all than allow crisis to fester for this long.
“Anybody who knows the president would know that he is a very good and decent man, but I think he is on a wrong job, because this job requires you to know things and take action before they happen, and if they happen, to react swiftly.
“It is my hope that the matter is resolved. But even at that, by the time I assume office, I will cement it so that for the next 25 years, there won’t be crisis of ASUU with the Federal Government again because I will ensure there is autonomy for the sector.
“Remember that I went to America where I spent ten days and in the course of meetings, where we reached agreement with the black historical universities and colleges to come and assist Nigerian universities.
“At least, 2,000 Americans professors will come to Nigeria on sabbatical and exchange to help us build up . Even if ASUU isnt on strike , they dont have enough equipment to produce quality graduates”, he explained.
