The Presidential Candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria
(ACPN), Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, has promised a better deal for women and
youths if elected in 2019.
Ezekwesili made the promise in an
interview with newsmen shortly after canvassing for votes from market
women at Afor-Ukpor market, Ukpor in Nnewi South Local Government Area
of Anambra on Sunday.
Ezekwesili said that if elected, the ACPN
would ensure that 50 per cent of appointments into the cabinet were made
up of women and young people.
The presidential candidate said the party’s major campaign targets women, who are operating at low productivity in the economy.
“We
have a programme that targets all the barriers that impede economic
productivity of women, some of which include the lack of large-scale
farm land for decent output.
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“One
of the research for development showed that women in Osun state, who
were given the same amount of inputs as their male counterparts,
performed more than their male counterparts by 40 per cent.
“We
will do everything in terms of our policies, rules and procedures to
empower our women in the agricultural sector,” she assured.
Ezekwesili
said if elected, her administration would also focus on education for
women, adding that education enhances the quality of policies women make
in governance.
According to her, of the 80 million Nigerians living in poverty, more than 50 per cent of them are women.
“So, if we must tackle poverty in Nigeria, we must focus very much on women and young people,” she said.
“It
will be an inclusive government where merit and competence will guide
our selection and where every part of the country is well represented in
governance,” she added.
The former Minister of Education
expressed confidence that INEC would conduct free and credible
elections, but said “the society must compel the commission to do so.
“INEC
is able to do it but may not do it because of political pressures that
may come upon it; that is why we as citizens must insist that electoral
integrity is a sine qua non for the 2019 elections.
“It is
therefore imperative that President Mohammed Buhari is prevailed upon to
sign the Electoral Amendment Bill 2018,” she said.
Ezekwesili
urged President Buhari to also invite all the candidates for the
elections and political parties to discuss the rule of the game in terms
of how the military and the police will work during the elections.
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