The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi has said that his Presidency if elected in 2023 will recreate a nation where the rich and the poor are equitably and fairly represented.

And where 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’s view came in the remarks he made  at the weekend to the Queen’s College Lagos  old girls Association who were marking the 95th anniversary of their alma mater

The LP standard bearer said female representations in his government will be assured recalling 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% , but he assured the women that his Presidency if elected “intend to progressively 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 and said 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.

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 – 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.

Obi plans also will be to “prioritize a structured approach to developing the digital skills of our young population to give them the competitive advantage to receive offshore jobs in the new gig economy, while also improving the efficiency and productivity level of our economy”

“The Obi-Datti administration, when elected President of Nigeria, will sustain national development. Our governance principles, priority projects and programmes shall be anchored on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Obi noted that Experience shows that inclusiveness is an essential element in effective public policy making  pointing out that he intends to stop the under representation of critical components of the society in decision making such as women, youth, and the vulnerable in our midsts.

The Candidate told the Queen College Old Girls that if elected President he will “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 expressed his Commitment to the well being of the Girl Child and Women pointing out that this will be fully reflected in his  broad and gender-specific policies.

He also plans to reset and reboot Nigeria in all ramifications –leadership and governance, security of life and properties, economic and political freedom and this according to the candidate “will entail the promotion of intangible assets that underpin democracy; namely, good governance, rule of law, security of lives and properties and robust institutions. There will be visible and measurable indices of governance the people can experience.

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has pointed out that the high level of insecurity and the apparent neglect of the agricultural sector, among other factors, are responsible for the prevalent soaring food inflation experienced in the country.

Obi, who made it known in a Message to mark the World Food Day 2022, argued that food inflation, which is biting hard on the country stems, mainly, from the high level of insecurity which made it impossible for farmers to return their farms and engage in their agricultural activities and food production. He pointed out that fighting insecurity will form his number one priority in office, when given access to power, because securing the nation will form the basis of any development, including massive food production.

He said “If you secure the country, the farmers will return to the farms, produce more foods and agricultural products, and food inflation will go down.”

He also explained that lack of investment in agriculture, caused by over dependence on oil proceeds, by the government, is another reason food inflation is hitting the roof. He reiterated his stand that the greatest assets Nigeria has are the large expanse of lands in the Northern part of the country.

“Borno State is 70,900km² in landmass, yet, they have uncultivated lands that are not yielding any productivity to the country. Sambisa forest, a vast farmland in Bornu State, is twice the size of Israel, which is just about 22,000km².

“Israel produces enough food for its population and for exports, while Nigeria can hardly feed the people.

“Borno State is twice the size of Netherlands, which is about 33,000km2 in landmass excluding water. Last year alone, Netherlands exported agricultural products worth of $120 billion, while Nigeria with a land mass of 923,770 km² cannot yet feed itself because we are depending on the now dwindling oil proceeds,” Obi said.

He expressed confidence that Nigeria, under his watch, will move from consumption to production and that there will be adequate food production in the country, through right investment in agriculture.

The World Food Day is celebrated on October 16 every year.