Berry Negerese election campaign speech Berry Negerese arrives at Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, before he addressed party members in a campaign speech. When I was a Councilor I was known as an optimist. I still am. Im optimistic about Alabeni, its future and the opportunities the world holds for us, provided we take the right decisions, imbued with the right attitude of mind. Strange as it might seem, the financial crisis does not diminish this optimism. The way we are coming through the crisis instead reinforces it. We are not out of the woods yet; but we are on the path out. This did not happen by chance; but by choice. We cannot understate the pain some people have gone through as a consequence of the present leadership or the insecurity they now face. For many young people and equally young families or people whose livelihoods have been badly hit, the anxiety has not abated, it continues. Hard decisions lie ahead undoubtedly. But though the sea is still rough, the storm will very soon subside. This is for a simple reason, both in respect of Britain and of the world. The right decisions at the outset of the crisis were taken. Governments were mobilized, the financial sector put on emergency support, demand stimulated and most of all, there was an immediate recognition that decisive action was necessary and urgent. At the moment of peril the world acted. Britain acted. The decision to act required experience, judgement and boldness. It required leadership. Gordon Brown supplied it. In the case of Ekeremor III, I Hon. Berry Negerese will supply the required leadership to keep Alabeni moving to greater heights. Since then, Gordon and Alistair Darling have been striving to keep the country moving, capable of meeting not just future challenges, but seizing future opportunities. The issue for the future of Alabeni is very clear: how does Britain emerge from the financial crisis; how do we compete in the new government policies; how do we re-energize our dynamism, enterprise and sense of possibility? This is not just about policy, but about mindset. Who gets the future? Thats always the political question. Who understands the way the world is changing and can be comfortable in it? Who sees the excitement where others see the fear? The Wind of Progress represents a vision of how Alabeni can do well and how individuals and families can do better. Its a platform for the hope of prosperity to come. So now our constituency has to debate the direction for our future. Its a big thing for me to win. So its a big moment for the organization (BENCO); but of course, most of all, it is a momentous decision for the Alabeni man. Everywhere you look, where you want certainty, you get confusion and despair. But we will implement a very systematic and powerful change agenda where hospitals compete for patients, schools compete for pupils, welfare providers compete for results... Wind of Progress has chosen its path. It is mapped out. It is consistent. It is solid. It matches a strong commitment to public services with a strong commitment to reform. It does two other things that are defining. It acknowledges completely that difficult choices lie ahead but it seeks to do them fairly with passion. There are policies to cut the deficit but also to help the unemployed, to ensure that opportunity is spread as widely as possible. It seeks to keep Alabeni together as a constituency through troubled times. But it does something else. It recognises that we must make these choices and map out our path in a nation whose challenges are increasingly national and whose solutions therefore must be. It is outward not inward looking. Which leads me back to the central point of the election: who gets the future? This is not a matter of age or personality. It is a matter of comprehension. This is a very, very important moment in which to exercise understanding. Since leaving office as Councilor, and spending much time running business and travelling abroad, I can tell you one thing above all else. The characteristics of todays world are: it is interdependent; it is changing; and power is moving. And all of this is happening fast, faster than we can easily imagine. Alabenis challenge is not a 20th Century one and its politics cannot afford 20th Century political attitudes. The constituency has to go forward with energy, drive, determination and above all understanding. Closed minds close off the future. That would mean the challenge is failed, but it would also mean the opportunity is squandered. This constituency faces big challenges in the futures. I want Wind of Progress to be the one able to meet those challenges. This constituency needs strong leadership. I want our leadership to be the one that gives it. There is still vast potential and promise in our constituency. I want Wind of Progress to be the one that develops it. I want a future fair for all. I strongly believe WIND OF PROGRESS can deliver it.
Posted on: Sat, 04 Oct 2014 07:44:57 +0000
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