2019: Electing APC, PDP’ll deepen poverty – Ezekwesili

2019: Electing APC, PDP’ll deepen poverty – Ezekwesili
The presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, has warned that electing either the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or the All Progressives Congress (APC) in next year’s presidential election would deepen poverty and hunger in the country.
Ezekwesili, in a statement yesterday, said that none of these parties appreciate the dignity that must be accorded every Nigerian citizen. She lamented the extreme poverty in Nigeria.
According to her, “Extreme poverty in Nigeria is increasing by nearly six people every minute. But that is not even the worst part. According to the World Poverty Clock, if the current trends continue – or to put it another way, if we continue to elect this poverty-bringing APC/PDP leadership – the number of people living in extreme poverty in Nigeria would increase from about 88 million today to 120 million in 2030.

“What that means is that in the next 12 years, over 30 million more Nigerians will join the infamous number of extremely poor people who live on less than N700 per day,” she predicated.
The presidential candidate noted that when a country has a GINI coefficient above 35 per cent, it means its income inequality is very high. According to her, Nigeria’s GINI coefficient is between 46 and 60 per cent, noting that such levels of extreme inequality have destabilising implications for the country.
“Tackling the inequality and lifting 80 million Nigerians out of poverty will be the mission of my presidency.” Ezekwesili stated that the composition of her cabinet would be guided by the troika criteria of character, competence and capacity. She stated that would reflect 50 per cent inclusion for women and 50 per cent for young people without compromising the three criteria.
“The principles that guide the centrality of inclusion made by our ACPN administration centres on the fact that women and the youth, both of the largest demographic blocs of the nation, are severely underrepresented in public life. “We believe that a diverse makeup of government not only improves representation, but ensures accountability to the public.
“Equality of opportunity is fundamental to fairness, equity and justice in a diverse society like Nigeria. “That was what the writers of the 1979 constitution sought to achieve by entrenching the Federal Character principle that guides appointments into public office.
“Equality of opportunity is a principle that achieves both competition, merit, representation and inclusion without trading any off,” she said. Ezekwesili said she was ready to uphold the rule of law in the opportunities available to every Nigerian regardless of their region, religion, status or gender.
“There is no doubt that Nigeria is a multi-plural nation. We are different people with diverse language, age, gender, religion, beliefs and status. As the president, I promise to play a role that acknowledges our differences and yet fosters unity of diversity.