2023 Elections: My administration will ensure citizens’ interests supersede political interests – Obi
The Presidential candidate of Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has promised Nigerians that his administration will ensure that citizens’ interests supersede political interests if voted into power as the President.
This comment was made by Obi in a statement from the Obi-Datti Media Office that was provided to reporters, outlining the reason for his visit to Queen’s College in Lagos, where he spoke at the Old Girls’ Association program honoring the school’s 95th anniversary.
Obi said, “My administration will ensure that citizens’ interests supersede political interests and the existing trust gap between the government and the governed; the poor and the rich will be reduced to the barest minimum.
The LP standard bearer went on to say that there will be guaranteed representation for women in his administration, recalling that when he served as governor of Anambra State, his administration achieved a close to 60-40 gender balance in elective and appointed positions, whereas the proportion in the federal government was between 30 and 35 percent.
He also said that he would pursue a Marshall plan-style program on education that includes required technical and vocational skills, sports, entrepreneurship, programming, and digital skills from the primary to the secondary level. He also revealed that education is a key component of his policy agenda.
According to him, “Inevitably, we will improve access to finance, MSMEs, youths and women, to significantly reduce unemployment and insecurity.”
According to the former Anambra State Governor, “We will introduce a mandatory ‘No Child left Behind’ educational policy, mindful that Nigeria’s inadequate investment in the social sectors including health, education, and housing which has resulted in the current dismal social and demographic trends reflected in low life expectancy, high maternal mortality rate, large number of out-of-school children, huge unmet housing needs as well as high youth unemployment.
“Our government shall prioritise education to serve the following functions; technical and industry relevance aligning with local comparative advantages and factor endowments; modern skills proficiency, critical thinking, ethical citizenship values, global competitiveness, and talent export.
“The Obi-Datti administration, when elected, will sustain national development. Our governance principles, priority projects and programmes shall be anchored on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals,” he added.
Obi emphasized that he planned to stop the underrepresentation of important segments of society in decision-making, including as women, youth, and the most vulnerable in the nation. He added that experience demonstrates that inclusivity is a crucial component in good public policy making.
He also that if elected President he would “from its inception, encourage investment in infrastructure, energy, transport, irrigation, and telecoms and education with gender mainstreaming and social inclusion in education, enterprise and politics will always be a priority.”
Obi also emphasized his dedication to the welfare of women and girls, saying that this will be clearly represented in both his general and gender-specific policies.
