The former vice president who gave the pledge when he paid a personal visit to the NLC’s president and delegation at the International Convention Centre at the start of the NLC’s 12th National Convention also said that he visited to wish them every success with their event.
This was made known to newsmen by his Special Assistant, Public Communication, Mr. Phrank Shaibu.
According to the statement, Atiku urged the worker’s union to vote out the incumbent government or face more loss of jobs.
According to him, “HE Atiku stated his concern that if Buhari is elected on February 16th for another four years, the NLC will not have many workers left to represent.
“As we know all too well, since 2015, our workforce has shrunken by over 14 million.
“And this is from a President who promised he would create 3 million jobs a year, but with over four years, he should have reduced unemployment by 12 million.
“So, 14 million jobs lost and 12 million net new jobs not created, comes to a deficit of 26 million versus what he promised us in 2015.
“If job losses continue to grow for the next four years at the same rate as the last four, the number of Nigerians without a job will rocket to 55 million.
“That is almost two out of three of our people without a job, without a pay packet and without the means to feed their family.
Atiku also told the union members that he was bringing a message of hope.
According to the state by Shaibu, “For if by the Grace of God, the Nigerian people decide to elect him as President, he commits that he will create jobs, grow the economy and get Nigeria working again.
“This is not some empty promise like Buhari has failed to deliver.
“Atiku gives his commitments based on his track record in Government: When HE Atiku was Vice President with responsibility for the economy, the number of Nigerians with a job went up.
“HE Atiku gives his commitments based on his track record in business: If Atiku can create 50,000 direct jobs and 250,000 indirect jobs in his own businesses, imagine what a Government led by him can do for the nation.
“Atiku gives his commitments based on the track record of his party: In the last three years of the PDP administration, Nigeria was the fastest growing economy in Africa.
“Since the APC came, they have shrunken our growth rate so that we now rank a lowly 42nd in the Continent. Africa’s largest economic powerhouse has become a pygmy. What measly economic growth we do have is below our population growth. So, each year under Buhari, our people are getting poorer.
“HE Atiku also gives his commitments to you based on the most detailed policy document ever presented by a Presidential Candidate: The Atiku Plan.
“HE Atiku spent the last two years working with some of the most talented Nigerian economic experts preparing what his Administration will do should he have the opportunity to lead our nation.
“Here are just three examples from HE Atiku’s 180 page policy document:
1. HE Atiku will hit the road running. He will name his cabinet on his first day in office and resolve the ASUU strike which is stopping our students from studying.
2. HE Atiku will create the right environment for businesses to grow in order to create more jobs.
3. HE Atiku will introduce a National Apprenticeship Scheme that will train one million of our youths in a trade and give them certification.
“By these, and all HE Atiku’s many other policies, he will grow the economy so he can pay all our workers not just a minimum wage but a living wage.
“HE Atiku urged the delegates to tell your members they have a simple choice at this election:
“Either they can vote APC for four more years of record unemployment, record poverty and record insecurity.
“Or they can vote PDP, so together an Atiku Administration, the nation’s businesses and your members will get Nigeria working again,”the statement concluded.
Source: Vanguard
