The All Progressives Congress (APC) at the weekend unveiled a handbook for its much-touted Progressive Institute, meant to be a think tank and intellectual resource centre for the party.
Presenting his speech at the one-day validation conference on the draft handbook of The Progressive Institute, National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje, said aside from broadening the intellectual capacity of the party, the proposed Institute also strengthen the process of decision-making through the deployment of research-driven, empirical and accountable approaches in its operations.
“The mission of the institute according to the handbook is “to deepen democracy, strengthen internal party democracy, promote participatory development, strengthen the bond between the party and its cadres as well as encouraging good governance at all levels of Nigeria’s governance system.”
The handbook also listed some goals to include; “Strengthen national government especially to make it more responsive to popular economic, social and political demands.
“Regulating extreme concentration of wealth among a tiny elite and enormous economic power of giant trust which may be seen as irresponsible but uncontrollable.
“Curtailing perceived growing power of corporate entities which may threaten the freedom of individuals to earn decent living.
“Checking excessive opulent economic conditions for the elite which holds little promise for the industrial workers and local farmers and the capturing and corruption of men and methods of government for their own benefits by political and power elite.
“To promote new governance philosophy and to reconstruct politics dominated by any class of selfish interest.”
According to Ganduje, the conference was important as it was to review the draft Handbook of The Progressive Institute, which he said would serve as the party’s Think Tank as well as its Intellectual Resource Centre.
“The Handbook was developed as part of our deliberate efforts to establish a world-class intellectual resource centre”, he stated.
He said: “We are determined to leverage on science and technology to deepen internal democracy while also promoting democracy, good governance, inclusiveness and equity in the country. Our leadership is conscious of its historical responsibility to promote these ideals.
“The Progressive Institute will play a dual role for the APC. It will function as a Think Tank as well as an intellectual Resource Centre. As a Think Tank, it will undertake research either on its own or under the directives of the party, focusing on policies and programmes of governments under the APC platform. This will enhance the capacity to effectively play its role. It will also undertake capacity-building activities for our members.
“In both roles, the centre will carry out research on progressive ideals and their programmatic implications while also developing the curriculum for ideological training for members of the APC including those in government.
“It is important to emphasize the determination of our party to raise the quality of political discourse in the country through very well-defined ideological prisms.
Speaking in a similar vein, APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, said the establishment of the Progressive Institute will not only benefit the party but add value to the governance system in Nigeria.
“Our secretariat is open to all. Our bureaucracy and policies are designed to help politicians who are ready to serve the people and not just to get to the public office.”
The Director General of the Institute, Dr. Lanre Adebayo, also revealed plan to organise a governance forum where governors elected on the platform of the party, as well as ministers would come and give scorecards of their performances to the party.
