A major contender for the 2023 presidential race on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Peter Obi, on Sunday, tasked government at all levels to find ways to pay outstanding pensions and gratuities as well as honour agreements with workers especially that with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
He said the appeal became necessary given the need to bring the ongoing strike action to an end to enable “our children to go back to school.”
Obi stated this in his message to Nigerian workers on the celebration of Workers Day.
He encouraged the workers to hold unto the beautiful virtues of diligence and hard work.
He called on them to remain resolute in their contributions toward building a better nation.
He tasked the workers to continue to remain committed irrespective of the present challenges confronting the nation.
The PPD presidential aspirant reinstated the need to move the country from the ‘sharing and consumption mentality” to a creative and productive country.
He said this could be achieved when workers and all Nigerians carry out their duties productively for the sake of the country rather than being transactional for their interests.
The former Governor of Anambra State also decried the high cost of living, which makes the Nigerian Nigerians spend 100% of their income on feeding alone.
Obi urged all Nigerians, particularly Nigerian workers to commit themselves to increased productivity which will translate to increased government revenue and subsequently an increase in the welfare of workers.
While lamenting Nigeria’s high unemployment rate, Obi said, “No country grows economically with 35 percent unemployment rate which when combined with under-employment will be 55 percent with 60 percent of the unemployed people being youths, the greatest asset of any nation.
“I urge the government to aggressively support micro, small and medium enterprises which are the engine of job creation so that they can effectively contribute to reducing the unemployment rate as is the case in other nations,” he said.
