General Overview:
As the nation prepares for the 2023
general elections, it is of utmost
importance that we understand the
enormity of the multifaceted challenges
confronting us as a people. These include
but not limited to Poor governance,
insecurity, massive unemployment and increasing poverty which have left the citizens in a vicious cycle of pain and anguish.
The 2023 election will shape our country for good if the right choices are made. It will certainly throw up an opportunity to transform our country so that it works not just for a few, but for all of us. It is a chance to bring restoration to our dear nation Nigeria and hope to its beleaguered citizens. This is why the nation needs an experienced and selfless leader like Dr Orji Uzo Kalu.
Unarguably, the likes of Dr Orji Uzor Kalu are rare. He was not born with silver spoon in his mouth but by sheer determination, dint of hard work and tenacity of purpose, he made it to the top. His success in business and politics at a very tender age is a study in business and political brinkmanship.
He has demonstrated with his accomplishments over the years beyond reasonable doubt that given the opportunity to lead he can make Nigeria work. His landmark achievements both as a captain of industries and as the then governor of Abia state is still a reference point in the annals of our political history. A man of very few words, who believes in the axiom that action, speaks louder than voice. He is an apostle of the doing rather than the saying.
This manifesto presents a comprehensive, all-embracing agenda for national reformation and restoration of the nation’s lost glory. This plan is not an agenda only meant to merely overcome the current challenges bedeviling the nation but will help revive the confidence of people by ushering hope and restoring national pride, unity which is the bed rock of a sustainable growth and development.
VISION AND MISSION STATEMENTS
Delivering a modern, progressive and prosperous Nigeria; the future we desire.
A Nigeria where citizens will be accorded their place of pride in the international community or arena.
OUR PLAN OF ACTION:
Governance is a serious business. It requires serious minded people who have their eyes on the ball to deliver. Yes, the goal getters.
The following specific programmes and initiatives shall be undertaken:
i. Economic revival
ii. Infrastructure
iii. Job creation
iv. Security
v. Healthcare
vi. Education
vii. Agriculture
viii. Women and Youths
Economic Revival
Nigeria today faces enormous economic challenges. There is a fast declining trend in all macro-economic indicators occasioned by various factors including government policies over the last decade.
In addressing these economic challenges, we shall:
i. Utilize the country’s physical and human resources to propel sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
ii. Collaborate with technocrats and players/stakeholders in the manufacturing and agro- allied industry.
iii. Diversify the economy to
reduce the over dependence on mono-economy; oil and gas for foreign earnings.
iv. Introduce peoples friendly macro-economic policies to reduce deficits in the budget and the balance of payments, curb inflationary pressures and reduce country’s dependence on foreign loans and aides.
v. Empower small and medium scale businesses through loans/grants and subsidies.
vi. Formulate a robust industrialization policy and provide a conducive environment for a private sector led industrial base for the economy.
vii. Promote entrepreneurship that will help usher in new industries, new jobs, new knowledge and utilization of information and communication technologies through public/private partnership programs.
Infrastructure Economic
We depend on infrastructure at every stage of our lives; to go to school, to go to work, to enable businesses to grow and create jobs for youths.
We shall:
• Invest in infrastructure in order to attract businesses and good jobs across the 36 states and the FCT, make life easier for our people.
• Construct more accessible roads, rails lines to connect major cities and improve electricity supply.
• Demonstrate a political will by giving special attention to our local industries through provision of grants and the enabling environments for these industries to thrive.
Job Creation
We shall work towards creating employment opportunities in order to reduce poverty and at the same time ensure a sufficient utilization of the country’s human resources for productive purposes.
In addition, the following specific programmes and initiatives will be undertaken:
We shall invest heavily in areas of science and technology which will bring about new employment opportunities to over five million persons in the public and private sectors including over one million each in IT sector and two million in SME sector annually.
We shall gradually increase the minimum wage for workers to reflect the present economic reality.
We shall initiate programmes of massive industrialization in the urban and rural areas to absorb the unemployed.
Security
Keeping Nigeria safe will be our overriding priority. The threat of extremism, terrorism, banditry and kidnapping remains serious, but with our tough, intelligent and comprehensive approach, we will confront and ultimately defeat these threats. Considering the complex security architecture of our country, it is imperative to push for legislation that will support the creation of state police, hence states will be encouraged to create policing outfit peculiar to them and under the supervision of the Nigerian Police Force.
We shall also:
• Support the armed forces in all fronts to ensure that the activities of
terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements are eliminated.
• Strengthen the ability of the police and other security agencies to help check the activities of terrorist, bandits and other forms of insecurity.
• Look into the various issues which gave rise to the 2020 END SARS
protest and the farmer/header clash and ensure a permanent solution is reached
Healthcare
We shall;
• Prioritize the reduction of the infant mortality rate, maternal mortality and HIV/AIDs infection rate by 50% within our first two years in office.
• Build new primary healthcare centers and improve the quality of
existing ones.
• Invest in cutting edge technology such as telemedicine in all major
health centers in the country through active investment and
partnership programs with the private sector.
• Improve welfare package for health workers so as to discourage
brain occasioned the massive exodus of health worker to foreign
lands for greener pasture.
• Provide free ante-natal care for pregnant women, free health care for
babies and children up to school going age and for the aged and free treatment for those afflicted with infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS;
Education
Presently, a lot of our public primary, secondary and tertiary schools are in a state of decay, hardly conducive for learning.
Therefore, there will be deliberate efforts targeted towards an increment in budgetary allocation to education to meet the United Nations benchmark of 15 to 20 percent of total budget to the sector.
We shall also;
• Prioritize girl child education and ensure reduction in the number of
out of school children through the full implementation of the Universal Basic Education Act with emphasis on gender equality in primary and secondary school enrollment whilst improving the quality and substance of our schools.
• Implement performance based education as against the current certificate based qualification.
• Ensure adequate funding of government tertiary institutions.
• Enhance teachers remuneration, training and improve the
competence of teachers along with vigorous national inspection.
• Make learning experiences more meaningful for children and make
education more cost-effective.
• Develop and promote effective use of innovative teaching methods/materials in schools.
• Free and compulsory education from primary to SS3 in our public schools
Agriculture
We shall;
• Prioritize the establishment of agro-allied industries driven by private/public partnership.
• We will provide and distribute fertilizers at no cost to famers in the country.
• Deliberate efforts will be made to establish rice processing factories in states/regions common to rice farming.
• Collaborate with the bank of agriculture and other foreign partners to make loan readily available to farmers at 0% interest rate.
• Articulate policies and enact laws that are famers friendly, consistent, pragmatic, sustainable and cost effective.
Women and Youth
We shall;
• Ensure the rights of women are protected as enshrined in our Constitution;
• Guarantee that women are adequately represented in our cabinet and provide greater opportunities in education, job creation and economic empowerment; we shall actualize the Beijing conference on gender equality and affirmative action.
• Establishment of Vocational skills acquisition programmes and entrepreneurial training, graduate youth employment scheme, integrated farm settlement schemes, creation of wealth through waste recycling.
• Provision of special loan/relief fund to youths for business
CONSULTATION TEAM
There is the urgent need to put in place credible men and women of proven integrity to start consultations with principal stakeholders and eminent Nigerians to wit; seek their blessings so that they buy into the OUK project. The team will need to consult with eminent Nigerians and top traditional rulers across the country. The team could in addition be the think tank; the engine room of the campaign organization.
EMINENT NIGERIANS TO BE CONSULTED
• General Yakubu Gowon
• President Muhammadu Buhari Chief Olusegun Obasanjo
• General Ibrahim Babangida
• General Abdulsalami Abubakar General T. Y. Danjuma
• NASS CACUS
• Sultan of Sokoto
• Emir of Kano
• Obi of Onitsha
• Oba of Benin
• Oni of Ife
• Obong of Calabar
• Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu
• Chief Arthur Eze
• Chief Edwin Clark
• Ohanaeze Ndigbo
• Afenifere
• Arewa Consultative Forum
• South South People’s Congress
• Middle Belt Forum
• Past and present State Governors across party lines
• Business community; Captains of industry
• International community/Embassies/Ambassadors
• Trade/ Professional unions; NLC, TUC, NMA, NUJ, NBA among others.
• Academia; ASUU.
• Students and Youth bodies
• Women organizations
• The Religious; Bishops, Imams
THE TEAM:
The team should comprise of one or two credible Nigerians from the six geopolitical zones; South-South, South-East, South-West, North-Central, North-East & North-West.
EFFECTIVE MEDIA AND PROPAGANDA TEAM
This team will design campaign messages, buy into the media spaces and ensure positive reportage. The propaganda and new media team will be the battle axe.
It is instructive to add here that sentiments must be avoided in recruiting the team. Let the professionals those who knows the trade/ terrain do the job. That way, the organization will have minimal challenges.
CAMPAIGN TEAM AND STRUCTURE
The team must deliberately reflect or represent every section of the country (It must reflect national outlook or character)
• Director General
• Two Deputy Directors General
• Director/Deputy of finance and administration
• Director/Deputy of mobilization/Logistics
• Director/Deputy media and publicity
• Director/Deputy of Research and strategy
• Director/Deputy of women affairs
• Director/Deputy of students and youths
• Director/Deputy NGOs, CSOs, support groups
• Secretariat/support staff
FUNDING:
No plan is a plan until it is executed. To implement this programmme funding is key. Without undermining the INEC ceiling for funding of campaigns, the organization must have a define budget for the project. The budget will determine sources of income and expenditures.
FORMAL DECLARATION:
This is the first major event that must of a necessity attract all.
It is the day the presidential aspirant unveils his manifesto and programme
of action. The manifesto should identify the ills, problems of the nation and
be able to proffer out solutions; the road map towards addressing the
problems.
It will be a big media event that will attract local and foreign press. They
should be managed by professionals in order to get good result.
THE MAIN CAMPAIGN
Good strategy and logics surely will produce positive results.
SUSTAINED MEDIA PLAN FOR ALL THE ACTIVITIES
1. It is expedient to have a team of media professionals for the campaigns. The team should have a secretariat equipped with modern tools, cameras, editing kits, recorders, etc.
2. All the visits/activities of the principal must be recorded and publicized; it’s all about visibility.
3. There is need to hire at least four spokes persons who are articulate and current on the political dynamics. These persons would be responsible for television and radio appearances to project and defend the principal.
4. Bill boards, posters, T-shirts, face caps corporate gifts, like umbrella, pens, etc are essentials ingredients for campaigns.
5. Buying into the media spaces; there must be deliberate plan to buy into the traditional and new media in order to attract positive reportage.
6. Note that effective media coverage is a key to success in political engagement. The operational words are; deliberate, plan and sustain efforts between the OUK organization and its publics.