…woos progressive-minded intellectuals
…gives committee three months
The People’s Redemption Party (PRP), yesterday, formally inaugurated the 34-man PRP Policy Advisory Committee (PPAC), in order to enrich the content, form and direction of the party’s political praxis.
The PPAC whose head is former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega, was inaugurated by the National Chairman of PRP, Falalu Bello, OFR, at the new National Secretariat of the party in Abuja.
Members of PPAC include Professor Attahiru Jega OFR; Prof. Ifeanyi E. Anigbogu; Prof. AU Nnonliye; Dr. Aminu Aliyu; Comrade Abdulkadir Isa; Prof. Ahmadu Sanda; Hajiya Aishatu Dankani, MFR; Mr. Chom Bagu; Cmdr David D. Nabaida; Prof. Gani Yoroms; Prof. Habu Mohammed; Dr. Haliru Umar; Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed; Ms Ibiba Dan Pedro; Alhaji Isa Moddibo; Alhaji Kabir Abdullahi Yusuf; Alhaji Kabir Abubakar Danmalik; Prof. Kabiru Dandago; Mallam Maiwada Abdulsaam; Prof. Mustafa Nassir Mallam.
Others are Alh. Mahmud Jega; Prof. Momodu Kassim Momodu; Aminu Mustapha Ibrahim; Alh. Mahmud Shuaibu Ringim; Muhammad Mallami Al’amin; Mr. Mataimaki T. Maiyashi; Alh. Sale Ladan; Prof. Sadeeque A. Abba; Mr. Shak Umar; Prof. Simon Ajegi; Dr. Sani Abdu; Mr. Sunny Ebitu; Prof Tukur Muhammad Baba; Dr. Tukur Abdulkadir; and Ambassador Usman Sarki.
The Jega-led committee has three months to work and submits it’s recommendations to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party
In his remarks the National Chairman of the party said: “I rise, on behalf of our great Party, the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) to warmly welcome you all to the new National Secretariat of our Party for today’s defining ceremony in the PRP’s steady march towards political relevance and victory.
“As you must all be aware, we are here today to formally inaugurate the PRP Policy Advisory Committee (PPAC). This committee is made up initially of thirty-four (34) thoroughbred intellectuals drawn from a wide field of specialization and experience in Nigeria’s intellectual vineyard. As a Party, our objective is simple, it is to tap from the invaluable and variegated expertise of these intellectual gems of our society in enriching the content, form and direction of the PRP’s political praxis.
“The PRP has always believed that intellectual workers have a pivotal role to play in society’s political, social and economic evolution. They help in defining and shaping hegemonistic world views which critically influence political behavior. But intellectual workers fall into two broad categories.
“There are those who work fervently to rationalize the status quo, no matter how oppressive and unconscionable this may be. These are the intellectual workers of the Established Order. On the other hand, there is the other category of intellectuals who see it as their duty to help in demystifying the hegemonic worldview promoted by the apologists of the status quo either because the established order is retrograde or oppressive.
“The PRP is a party for progressive change and human advancement. The strategic mission and fundamental ideals which inform our Party’s political praxis are the value and equality of human beings, the power and sovereignty of the citizens, the primacy of popular control of the economy, genuine federalism and total national liberation.”
He also maintained that the party will not rest but keep pressing and pushing with no effort spared in courting the involvement and participation of intellectuals in the struggle for the material and social advancement of the working masses of the country.
“Our Party, the PRP, shall spare no effort in courting the involvement and participation of intellectual workers in the struggle for the material and social advancement of the working masses of this country.
“We shall continue to woo and tap from the skills and expertise plentifully available in this country with a view to enriching our political interventions with evidence-based and empirically verifiable policy positions and critiques.
“The PRP will take to use this opportunity to call on all progressive-minded intellectuals committed to the material and social advancement of the working masses of our beloved country to team up with us in this historic struggle.
“We are open to partnering with all intellectual workers who have an unalloyed and undiluted commitment to the promotion of Nigeria’s national unity, national integration and genuine national independence.”
According to him the modus operandi for committee is basically to operate in 10 working sub-groups including Agriculture, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, Crafts and Cooperatives; Education, Human Capital Development, Mass and Continuing Education; Energy, Industry and Mineral Development; Banking, Fiscal Policy and Foreign Exchange Management; Social Security, Gender Policy, Youth, Old Age and People Living with Disabilities; Foreign Policy and Pan-African Solidarity and Unity; Internal Security, Civic Liberties and Values Orientation; Political and Representative Structures, Citizenship and Genuine Federalism; Digital Information Technology, Communication and Media; and Law and Order.
However, he said each member of the PPAC shall identify the working sub-groups he prefers to participate in, provided that no member should belong to more than two working subgroups at the same time.
He also added that each working sub-group would elect from amongst its members the person who will chair and coordinate the group’s work and activities as well as their secretary who will document all their works. And at the general overall level, the PRP’s Director of Research Planning and Documentation, Mr Richard Umaru, shall be responsible for coordinating the work of the PPAC on behalf of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Party.
“At this juncture, it is important to state and explain to the distinguished members of the PPAC that their primary assignment will involve carrying out a critique of the existing government policies and programmes in the working sub-groups areas of interest and specialization based on a hard-nosed assessment of the objective realities on ground in Nigeria and the external environment.
“Furthermore, members would be expected to proffer both short-term (that is eight-year) alternative policy and programmes options that the PRP should commit to. This would however have to be done within the broad context of (and not at variance with): The General Programme; The Five Fundamental Principles on which PRP is founded; and The Constitution of the Party.
“Furthermore, member of the Advisory Committee are advised to take full cognizance of the many progressive provisions of Chapter Two of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) in carrying-out their assignment.
“In the same vein, the Committee’s work and recommendations must take cognizance of the availability and/or otherwise of requisite material and human resources as well as the dynamics of changing realities in Nigeria’s external environment”, he stated.
Meanwhile, the national chairman assured the members of the committee that on its part, the NEC of the party shall be always ready to render all possible assistance to ensure the committee’s smooth, successful and productive work.
“It is expected that this first and present assignment of the PPAC shall take no more than three months. All the subcommittee should hand in their group reports by the end of the month of November 2020.
He also specially commended the head of the committee, Prof Attahiru Jega, for linking the party up with quite a number of intellectuals and prophetically declared that, “Posterity will, God willing, vindicate you all for electing to be active participants of emancipation of the Nigerian talaka and indeed all the oppressed peoples of Nigeria”, he added.
