By HILARY AKALUGWU
ENUGU STATE- Mr Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate of Labour Party (LP) in February 25 election, urges students to join the party in rescuing Nigeria from poverty, unemployment and poor education funding by voting wisely.
Obi said this in Nsukka on Thursday during a visit to his alma mater, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), to interact with students.
He said that the purpose of the visit was to inform students of his ambition and solicit for their votes in the forthcoming general elections.
“As an alumnus of the great university, I am here to solicit for your votes in the forthcoming general election so that you can join hands with LP to rescue Nigeria.
“Ensure you have your Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) which is your constitutional instrument to vote me into power so that we can better Nigeria and remove it from consuming nation to producing nation,” he said.
The LP presidential candidate assured Nigerian students that if elected, his administration would end the incessant Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike in the country.
He said incessant strikes in public universities were responsible for students spending more than their course years .
“If I’m elected as president in February 25 election, that will not only mark an end to poverty,unemployment and corruption.
“But it will also end ASUU strike in Nigeria; all hands must be on deck to recover our country from bad leadership.”
“My administration will give priority to education, being engine room for development, since no country can develop more than its level of education,” he said.
Obi urged students to disregard some political parties saying that LP had no structure, explaining that “those who boast of having structures only have structures for looting public funds, corruption, impunity and ASUU strike
“Our mission is to rescue Nigeria from those who have hijacked the leadership of this country.
” You and all who believe that with good leadership Nigeria can work again are our structures,” he said.
In a remark, Mr Michael Abuchi, President, UNN Student Union Government, described Obi as a Super Lion who had done the university proud as governor of Anambra State as well as all positions held.
“UNN students are proud of you and are ready to give you our massive support to ensure that you are elected in next month’s general elections.
” Your coming today to interact with the students is an eloquent testimony of the volume of love you have for students who are feature leaders.
“We will not take your visit today for granted, your visit has encouraged and given us sense of belonging.
” On behalf of UNN students I promise you that, on 25 February, we will come out en mass to vote you to victory so that ASUU strike in public universities will end and Nigeria will be better again,” he said.
NAN reports that security agencies had a tough time controlling the crowd, as students trooped out to receive Obi at Margaret Ekpo Convocation Hall.
Obi’s speech was intermittently interrupted by cheers and shouts of “Obi our next president”.
Chief Kenneth Okonkwo, LP Presidential spokesman; Chief Okey Ezea, LP Senatorial Candidate in Enugu North District and Chief Chidi Obetta, candidate for Nsukka/Igboeze-South Federal constituency, were among party chieftains present (NAN)
