By Tom Okpe
National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC), Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has reiterated the party’s readiness to leverage on Science and Technology, for deepening internal democracy in the country.
He also said this will promote good governance, inclusiveness and equity..
The National Chairman made these known at the opening of a one day validation conference on the draft Handbook of the ‘Progressives Institute, APC Think Tank and Intellectual Resource Centre,’ held at the Ladi Kwali Hall, Inter-Continental Hotel, Abuja on Saturday.
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.”
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Ganduje further stressed that 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,” he said.
While welcoming guests to the review of the draft Handbook of the Progressives Institute, the former Kano State Governor said, “our party’s ‘Think Tank’ as well as its Intellectual Resource Centre, was developed as part of our deliberate efforts to establish a world-class intellectual resource centre.
“One of my major pronouncements immediately after my inauguration as the National Chairman of our great party was the establishment of the Progressive Institute as a platform, not only to enhance the intellectual foundation of the party, but also, to strengthen the process of decision-making through deployment of research-driven, empirical and accountable approaches in the APC’s operations.
“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.
“It’s also, to ensure global standard and thoroughness in development of both, the intellectual and professional materials of the institution,” he added.
In his earlier remarks, Chairman of the occasion and former Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof Nuhu Yaqub described the conference, a welcome development.
He said: “The review is something we should welcome, as it portrays the APC as a party, conscious of its role in terms of delivering dividends of Democratic governance in the country.
“It makes me happy, as a political scientist, that we are in a process of consolidating democratic governance, today.”
The validation conference was jointly organized by the party and the Institute for Governance and Leadership Studies in Africa, (GLSA).
