- Agency Report
Mr Oyakhilome Bello, All Progressives Congress (APC) U.S. National Youth Leader, has urged Nigerians to give President Bola Tinubu time to address and resolve the nation’s current challenges effectively.
Bello made the call on Friday in Abuja at the party’s national secretariat while speaking to newsmen.
Bello, alongside other leaders of the APC U.S. chapter, earlier held a closed/door meeting with Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, the party’s National Chairman and members of its National Working Committee (NWC).
The delegation included: Prof. Adesegun Labinjo, Alhaji Sama’ila Maigyara, Khairat Animashaun-Ajiboye and Felix Miliku
Bello described the meeting as productive, saying strategies to increase the party’s visibility among Nigerians in the diaspora were discussed.
He said the delegation was committed to ensuring that the party’s banner continued to fly high in the U.S and made a household name globally.
“We are grateful for the warm reception and assurance of synergy from Ganduje, and our national executives, together, we’ll make our party a household name globally,” he said.
Bello who is also a member of Edo APC Governorship Campaign Council Diaspora Directorate, expressed confidence that with the President Bola Tinubu-led administration, Nigeria would overcome its current challenges and achieve greatness.
He affirmed the support of the APC U.S. to the forthcoming Edo governorship election, saying the chapter was dedicated to delivering victory for the party in the state.
“Relief is in sight as the Port Harcourt refinery is set for operations in a few weeks and plans have been concluded to subside the cost of rice to N40,000 and other food items.
“Government has indeed heard you loud and clear, let’s at this point have a rethink and come to the discussion table, especially as opportunities have been opened for dialogue.
“It is better to jaw, jaw than to war, war, without dialogue, we will not have headway in the situation we currently find ourselves.
“I may be based in the United States, but I am on the ground here in Nigeria with you, and I understand your plight and I feel your pains,” Bello said.
He said the Tinubu-led administration had put in place a lot of policies and programmes, including the student loan scheme that would greatly benefit youths.
He appealed to youths to tap into such programmes irrespective of party affiliations, saying their protest was appreciated by the government as it was allowed in every democracy.
He, however, stressed the need for leaders of the #Endbadgovernance in Nigeria protest to come to the discussion table to have a talk with the Federal Government on ways forward.
This, Bello said was the best way out, rather than going to the streets to protest and destroy government properties and infrastructure.
He assured that the government was doing a lot to improve the well-being of Nigerians across the board irrespective of party affiliations.
He said for instance, the student loan scheme of the Tinubu-led administration compared favourably with some of the historic policies introduced in the 1960s to encourage education in parts of the country.
“You will agree with me that the target beneficiaries of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) put in place by the administration are indigent students across the country who may not have had the opportunity to be educated,” he said.NAN.