‘I will privatize P/H, Warri, Kaduna refineries to raise $10b for empowerment’, Atiku tells Lagosians

•Insists on restructuring  •PDP will restore nation’s economy, Udom •Atiku is accepted in all zones, says Okowa

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has disclosed that he would privatize the nation’s refineries in Port-Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna to raise $10billion for the empower of youth and women in the country, if he is elected the next President of Nigeria.

Atiku, who made the disclosure yesterday while addressing his party supporters and the electorate at the PDP presidential campaign rally held in Lagos, equally restated his promise to restructure the country, if given the mandate to lead Nigeria come next year.

At the well attended PDP presidential campaign rally held at the Tarawa Balewa Square, TBS, in Lagos, Atiku pledged to give states and local government areas more power and resources.

The former Vice President said, “On my own part, if you elect me as your president, I said and I promised by the grace of God that I am going to set aside $10 billion so that we can empower our young men and women in small medium enterprises. 

“People were asking me where am I going to get the money? 

“If I privatise the Port Harcourt refinery, Warri refinery, and Kaduna refinery I will get the money. 

“So, let me also promise you if you elect me, we are going to restructure this country, what do we mean by restructuring? 

“We will give your state and local governments more power and resources. It is up to you to hold them responsible. 

“Therefore, the people of Lagos, it is high time you took your destiny into your own hands for your own future, not for the future of one family. 

“For in the last 23 years, you are governed by one family. It is your right and your duty to take over that governance and hand it over to yourselves. That is what the PDP stands for”, he said.

The former Vice President pointedly declared that it is the Federal Government and not the Lagos State government that built the Second Mainland Bridge; rebuilt the old Carter Bridge, built the Third Mainland Bridge, rebuilt the Agege-Ikorodu motor road, rebuild Ikorodu road, and all the major roads connecting Island and Mainland.

The Chairman of the PDP presidential campaign council and Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel, while speaking at the rally, assured that if elected into office next year, the PDP we will restore the economy of Nigeria, while all those factories that have left Lagos will come back.  

According to Udom, “Under the Atiku Abubakar’s administration, the economy of Lagos will bounce back everything will come back to life. 

“We want to promise you that we are here in terms of the economy, once you settle the economy of Lagos, you settle two-thirds per cent the economy of Nigeria”, he said.

The Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP and Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, while also speaking at the rally, said, “We have a presidential candidate that is accepted in all the zones of the country and the reason why he is accepted is because he is the only one that has experience. 

“We want a Nigeria that works for everybody. In Lagos state, we want a Lagos that works for everybody not only for the rich but also for the poor, because Lagos state is for all and therefore the resources of Lagos state must be used to uplift our youths and create jobs for them, that is the Lagos State that we want. 

“We do not want a Lagos state where the rich will become richer and the poor poorer. This Nigeria that we see today is not the Nigeria that we want.

“So, I want to urge you all go out and campaign for Atiku Abubakar because he will restore the lost glory of this country”, he said.