Osibajo unfolds APC’s economic blueprint
Posted by the Editor
Vice Presidential Candidate of the All Progressive Congress
(APC), Prof. Yemi Osibajo has unfolded plans by his party to introduce a social
security scheme for the elderly and disabled in Nigeria just as he promised
that APC-led Federal Government will provide 720,000 jobs in its first year,
when elected come February 14
Professor Osibajo disclosed this on Thursday in Benin City
when he met with the people of Edo State across political divides where he
articulated the position of APC in its quest to effect change in the social and
economic life of Nigerians.
Addressing the mammoth crowd at Imaguero College Hall, Osibajo
said, “For the first time in the history of Africa, we are introducing a social
security scheme. It means the elderly who are poor and the disabled will be
given stipends.
“Now the reason why that is important is because our country
has continued to be one of the poorest 35 countries in the world despite our
resources. We have 110 million people who are extremely poor, so we need to
lift people out of poverty.”
He said: “As a first term relief, the APC intends that state
governments will, with the backing of the Federal Government that has 52% of
the revenue control, employ 20,000 young persons per state acting as emergency
relief.
He said, “If we do not tackle that emergency, we will run
into trouble because as you can see, there is a lot of youth restlessness. You
will notice that unless we do something about this, we will be in great trouble.
“We are turning people out of the universities; graduates
are coming out from all sorts of tertiary institutions. We are not engaging
them, it is important that we find solutions and the APC has set out a solution
today”, he stressed.
Professor Osibajo mentioned other priorities of the APC to
include uninterrupted power supply through a complete privatization of
generation and transmission of power; promotion of economic activities through
the setting up of industries and revamping of moribund industries across the
country.
He said, “APC-led Federal Government will give serious
attention to a Agriculture as a way of accelerating employment opportunities in
the country.
According to him, “APC plans to revamp cassava revolution.
You remember during President Obasanjo reign when he introduced the cassava
revolution, farmers produced great quantities but there was no buyers. We will
introduce rice revolution in Nigeria.
“The farmers will be encouraged to produce while the
government will buy them and by so doing encourage many to go into farming.
Infact, we will have Nigerian Rice just like we have Thailand rice”.
While lamenting the high incidence of death rate amongst
women and children arising from various diseases, Prof. Osibajo affirmed the
determination of the APC towards effective healthcare delivery system that will
guarantee basic medical treatment for Nigerians and called on all and sundry to
support the Party Presidential candidate, General Muhammandu Buhari and all APC
candidates in the 2015 General elections.
The Chief Host and Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams
Oshiomhole said, “We thought we should have this indoor meeting of non-party
members to interact with the Vice Presidential candidate of the APC to give you
a window of what the issues are.
“To move away from primordial sentiments of, where is he
from and where is he not from? Not a question of being a Muslim or a Christian
but what will you do differently? How will you guarantee our future? How can we
convert people who have been reduced to thuggery to people being industrial
workers?”
Oshiomhole said, “If in the early 50’s and 60’s, our leaders
recognized that we needed to add value and not just export raw cocoa and they
set up those industries in Ikeja and our leaders recognized that we shouldn’t
be exporting cotton but we can add value by processing, it is a competition
based on development and not empty rhetoric. While we can see the incidence of
poverty increasing, we can see more Nigerians having private jets.”
Oshiomhole added, “Nigeria worked before and it can work
again and it will work again but we need to address the issues of poverty,
unemployment and poor education”, and called on Edo people to avail themselves OF
the opportunity to ask questions so that their children do not inherit the
culture and tradition of lamentation.
Others who spoke at the ceremony were the Lagos State
Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola and Barrister Anselm Ojezua, APC State
Chairman.
Present at the occasion were political chieftains from
within and outside the state, APC party supporters, Traditional Rulers, Student
union governments, trade unions, Market Women, Academicians among others.
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