Ahead of the May 29 inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government in the country, the party will wednesday unfold a policy  roadmap that will guide the Muhammadu Buhari –led administration.

The unveiling of the policy direction will feature former British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair as guest speaker  during a two-day policy dialogue scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.

The policy dialogue themed: ‘Implementing Change: From Vision to Reality,’ is being organised by the Policy, Research and Strategy Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council.

In a statement in Abuja yesterday, the Deputy Head of the Directorate and former Minister of Youth and Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari would declare open the dialogue, which would be chaired by  the vice president-elect, Prof. Yemi Osibajo (SAN).

Blair is the keynote speaker at the dialogue where input to the roadmap for the actualisation of the policies of the incoming administration would be made by experts drawn from different fields and members of the public.

Abdullahi identified the core areas of focus in the two-day dialogue to include the economy, governance, job creation and security in line with the APC manifestoes for change.

He added that topics for discussion include: “improving the national economy for shared prosperity; repositioning agriculture for job creation and economic prosperity;  developing infrastructure for national development; achieving sustainable reforms on oil/gas sector; reducing inequality and achieving sustainable human development; achieving holistic and sustainable reforms in the education sector; developing and education system relevant to Nigeria’s developmental aspiration; chieving qualitative and affordable healthcare.

Others include: “Achieving diversity and inclusion in public life; exploring sports, tourism and creative industry for job creation; governance and improved efficiency in public service; tackling corruption in public sector and foreign policy and agenda for change.”

Some of the speakers and discussants expected at the dialogue include Ms Ifueko Omogui-Okauru, former chairperson of the FIRS; Dr. Rilwan Babalola, former Minister of Power; Dr. Tajudeen Umar, former Country Chair, Nigeria –Sao Tome and Principe Joint Development Authority; Prof Niyi Ayoola Daniels, President, International Institute for Petroleum Energy Law and Policy; Mr. Tunde Ahonsi, Resident Representative UNFPA, Ghana; Major-General Ishola Williamsn (rtd).

Others include : Prof Pai Obanya, Chairman WAEC; Dr. Ayo Teriba, CEO, Economic Associates; Prof. Bolaji Aluko, Vice-Chancellor, Federal University, Otuoke; Prof Mohammed Tabia of the Department of Islamic Law, Bayero University, Kano; General Abdulrahman Dambazzau, former Chief of Army Staff; Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, former Nigerian Permanent Representative, United Nations; Mr. Fola Arthur- Worrey, former Solicitor-General, Lagos State;  Ms. Bolanle Onagoruwa, former Director-General Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE); Mr. Wale Fapounda, of Legal Resources Consortium; and Prof Etannibi Alemika, Chairman CLEEN Foundation.

The programme will also mark the winding down of activities of the Policy, Research and Strategy Directorate of the APC Campaign Council, Abdullahi added.

Meanwhile, ahead of the May 29 hand-over date, there were indications yesterday that the leadership of the APC are being pressured to step in and resolve the issue of zoning of principal office positions in the incoming National Assembly.

The concern over the delays in deciding on zoning came just as the party’s transition committee has sought and got extension of deadline for the submission of its report to the president-elect, Buhari.

THISDAY gathered that though both the  president-elect and the leadership of the  party had preferred not to intervene directly on the matter, at least for now, some of the leaders are getting worried that if the party did not act now and swiftly too, the controversy the issue is generating might get out of hand.

At the on set of the tussle for the leadership of the eighth National Assembly, the APC set up an advisory committee headed by the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, to handle consultations with the stakeholders with a view to reaching an understanding on the zoning formula. Because of the sensitive nature of the issue, the party was initially reluctant to summon the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting without exhausting all avenue for agreement on the contentious areas.

Since the initial speculation broke out on the zoning of principal offices of the National Assembly by the party, many of the interested senators and House of Representatives members have been criss-crossing the country lobbying for support from their colleagues.
A source told THISDAY that the party’s effort to resolve the matter had been frustrated by some vested interests who are bent on stretching the matter to its limit.

It was learnt that the patience of some of the party leaders are running out, especially those of them who believe that the party should have summoned courage to deal with the issue promptly before it gets out of hand.

“Some party members are complaining that the party leadership should have convened a meeting to deal with issue once and for all, rather than allowing it to linger. It is not in our best interest. The party needs to meet tackle a number of issues relating to take-off on the incoming administration before the May 29th hand-over date,’’ the source said.

Meanwhile, the APC Transition Committee has continued its sitting even as the two weeks timeline given for it submit recommendations expired monday.

A member of the committee who spoke to THISDAY  on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speaking to the media, said the chairman and members of the committee are continuing their work.

According to him, due to the volume of work they are doing the committee has been asked to disregard the deadline and go on with its assignment.

He however said that the committee had to break into subcommittees covering various sectors in order to hasten the conclusion of its mandate.

It said one of the subcommittees is dealing with the petroleum sector whike another one is handling issues affecting the power sector with a view to making appropriate recommendation.

He said the receipt of sector study reports from the Obasanjo Research team is part of the goodwill that the transition committee has been getting from patriotic Nigerians to help the incoming administration to take off smoothly.He insisted that the chairman of the committee was being charitable when he told state house journalists that there no issue of non-cooperation with the FG transition team.
“We even asked them (Federal Government) whether we can interface with the Ministers while we are waiting for the hand-over report but they said categorically no. That we should wait the until the report is ready.

“I think we at the committee have gone beyond that now if not that the PDP Spokesman, Metu had opened the matter to score cheap political points, we would not have talked about it.  We have continued working assiduously in line with our terms of reference having factored their non- cooperation on the matter,” he said.