The presidential candidate of the Labour Party(LP), Peter Obi, has decried the poverty level in the country, vouching that if elected, the LP government would lift no fewer than 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.
Obi who stated this at Nnewi, Anambra State on Wednesday regretted how the government of the All Progressives Congress (APC) impoverished millions of Nigerians in its eight years reign.
Addressing the people at the Nkwo Nnewi market, Obi said about 65m Nigerians were poor in 2012, but more than 100m had become poor under the APC government.
He said, he and his running mate, Senator Yusuf Datti-Ahmed were fully prepared to change things positively.
He said, ” We are going to transform the economy and living standard of all Nigerians, irrespective of tribe, religion, gender, social class or political affiliation.
“We have chosen to build a new Nigeria where there will be the security of life and property. When I was governor, bank robbery and allied criminality were almost impossible; all the bandits were sent out. We are going to do the same nationwide.
”The way to do it is to move Nigeria from consumption to production. I will assure you that industries in Nigeria will become operational once again.
“Successive governments have always told us they were going to resuscitate and reactivate the industries, the SMEs.But how many of you have received any such assistance from the Federal Government”
Obi pointed out that as governor he transformed schools, hospitals, roads and other infrastructure without many challenges.
He added, “It’s the duty of government to make life easy for the citizens, not to overburden them with taxation. I’m the most qualified and prepared to lead this nation out of the prevailing difficulties and poverty.
In her remarks, a human rights activist, Aisha Yusuf, charged Nigerians to go to polling booths on Feb 25. and vote for Obi and Yusuf Datti-Ahmed so as to save Nigeria from the clutches of her enemies.
A former governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra state, Valentine Ozigbo, in his address, said Nigerians were tired of misrule and would need positive change.
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