Obi Pledges Inclusive Government

Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has said his administration, if elected in 2023, will recreate a nation where the rich and the poor are equitably and fairly represented.

He added that citizens’ interests will supersede political interests and the existing trust gap between the government and the governed will be reduced to the barest minimum.

Obi stated this at the weekend at the Queen’s College Lagos Old Girls Association, a statement from Obi-Datti Media Office said yesterday.

The association marked its 95th anniversary.

According to the statement, the LP standard bearer vowed to ensure female representations in his government recalled that as governor of Anambra State, his administration achieved close to a 60-40 gender balance in appointive and elective positions while that of federal government hovered around 30 to 35%.

He also said his administration would aim for between 35-40%, with aggressive gender mainstreaming action plan and rigid benchmarks.

He announced that education is central to his government policy thrust adding that he will pursue a Marshal plan-type programme on education that incorporates compulsory technical and vocational skills, sports, entrepreneurship, programming, and digital skills from primary to the secondary level.

“And ‘Inevitably, we will improve access to finance, MSMEs, youths and women, to significantly reduce unemployment and insecurity.”

The former Anambra State governor added, “We will introduce a mandatory “No Child left Behind” educational policy, mindful that Nigeria’s inadequate investment in the social sectors – health, education, and housing 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 high youth unemployment.

“Our government shall prioritize education to serve the following functions: technical and industry relevance; alignment with local comparative advantages and factor endowments; modern skills proficiency, critical thinking, ethical citizenship values, global competitiveness, and talent export.”