Former Presidential candidate Peter Obi has urged the Nigerian government to declare a national emergency to address the welfare of its citizens, particularly the unemployed, the poor, and the downtrodden.
Naijaonpoint reports that Peter Obi made this known in a statement titled, ”A National Emergency on Workers’ Welfare and Youth Unemployment”, shared via his X handle on Wednesday.
Peter Obi supported the concerns raised by Nigerian workers, represented by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), regarding the grave survival challenges facing workers in the country.
The former governor of Anambra state lamented that Nigerian workers’ wages have become grossly inadequate to sustain even a modest standard of living
He wrote, “I read with concern the statement by Nigerian workers, represented by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), lamenting the grave survival challenges facing workers in the country today.
“According to the report, Nigerian workers’ wages have become grossly inadequate to sustain even a modest standard of living. Earnings no longer cover basic necessities such as food, housing, transportation, education, electricity, water, and healthcare.
“If those who are employed are struggling to survive, one is compelled to ask: what is the fate of the over 80 million Nigerian youths in their productive years who are unemployed, without any stable means of livelihood, and increasingly vulnerable to social vices?
“This reality calls for urgent action. Nigeria must declare a national emergency on the welfare of its citizens, especially the unemployed, the poor, and the downtrodden, so that their energy and potential can be properly harnessed for productive and nation-building purposes.”