The presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu has said among all the major contenders for the presidency he is trustworthy and has a better plan for the nation.
Newsonline reports that Tinubu said as governor of Lagos State he put in blueprint that made Lagos the fifth largest economy in Africa unlike Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of Labour Party who saved while “workers suffered endless hardship”.
The former governor of Lagos State said this on Monday while speaking with the organized labour in a town hall meeting.
Tinubu said, “Today, the questions you all must ask yourselves are these: who can be trusted to accomplish all of this? The man who has done it before, or the man whose most lasting achievement as Vice President is the corrupt sale of national assets to his friends and cronies?
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“Who has the better plan? The man whose blueprint guided the emergence of Lagos State as fifth largest economy in Africa or the man whose greatest pride is the amount of money he managed to bury in sand while his state’s infrastructure decayed and its workers suffered endless hardship? “The choice is yours. But permit me to now talk a little about myself and my vision.”
“I have always been and will continue to be a progressive democrat. In my worldview, government has a cardinal responsibility to work not only with business but also with labour to ensure that all constituent parts of our society are afforded their fair share of rewards without taking on undue hardship,” Tinubu said.
Further speaking on what stands him out, Tinubu said just like the labour leaders, he has been in the forefront of fighting the government for good governance all his life, a move for which he was detained and eventually forced into exile.
He said, “as Organised Labour, you have been at the forefront of the workers’ rights movement in Nigeria, championing economic fairness and the welfare of the average person, the weak and the forgotten.
“You have also been involved in the struggle for democracy and political rights. Your collective efforts breathe life into the democratic rights and economic ideals enshrined in our constitution. I can speak fondly of your impact on our nation because of my personal history on the frontlines of the social justice movement.
“I may be running for president now, but I was not always in this position. Long before I started running for the presidency, I was running away from military dictators angered by my important role in protests against them and their efforts to vanquish our democratic aspirations. The defining moment of my public life came during Nigeria’s struggle for democracy and my membership in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) movement.”
“I have dedicated my entire being to that cause. I was detained, then was forced into exile because of my refusal to accept anything less than a government based on the proposition that the will of the people is sovereign and should reign over armed might and imposition.
“I believe that those assembled here today share the same ideals of progressive and democratic good governance. I have spent my political life advocating for the rights and interests of ordinary Nigerians as you also do. We have long been fellow travellers on the same road,” the APC candidate added.
Speaking on his plan to move the country, Tinubu told Labour that he will bring social justice and properity for all citizens.
He promised that the economy will be structured to afvour workers and youths. He said if elected credit facilities will be made available for workers to own their houses.
The former Lagos governor added that a conducive business environment will be provided for private investors for employment purposes.
“My Action Plan for a Better Nigeria sets out a vision of opportunity, social justice and prosperity for all. I seek a Nigeria where sufficient jobs with decent wages give people the chance to live better lives. Where the private sector thrives, we will not disrupt it.
“For young Nigerians, my goal will be to open the doors wide to emerging sectors such as the digital economy, entertainment and culture, and tourism. Specific policies will empower women and young people to become more active in our nation’s leadership.
“Our industrial policy will help Nigerian businesses manufacture, create, and invent more of the goods and services we require and to export more of those products across the globe. We will modernize and expand public infrastructure to create jobs, develop skills and spur rapid growth across all economic sectors, giving real opportunity to those who previously only dreamed of it,” Tinubu said.
