TheCable

Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of African Action Congress (AAC), says if elected into office, he would cut the jumbo pay of the national assembly members.

Sowore made the pledge on Wednesday at a town hall meeting tagged ‘The Candidates’. It was organised by the MacArthur Foundation in collaboration with NTA and DARIA media in Abuja.

“The issue of some people earning minimum wage and others earning maximum wage where a senator earns N14 million monthly is unacceptable,” the presidential candidate said.

“Do you know that it will take a Nigerian worker earning N30, 000 monthly about 38 years to earn what a senator is earning per month?.”

Sowore, who described the trend as disheartening, said “our problem in Nigeria is not wealth generation but wealth distribution”.

“We will not allow illegality in national assembly,” he said, adding that his government would pay N100, 000 to Nigerian workers as minimum wage.

He said his government would not only invest in the education of the young people but also provide 5 million jobs for the youth.

The AAC presidential candidate said the party would employ between 300, 000 and 400, 000 personnel in the security sector so that the country’s security could be strengthened.

“By this, the police and the army will be able to keep us secured. Also, we will give study allowances to students,” he said.

“I believe with our resources, we can support our young people, the elderly, etc.”

He assured that productivity in the country would be ensured “when we invest in our people”.

“I am after the knowledge of Nigerians that we can sell to the world, not after cocoa or so. We will build innovative leaders when a university can produce a student that is technologically-inclined,” he said.

On the insecurity in the country, his running mate, Rabiu Rufai, said the AAC would tackle the problem when people are held accountable for their actions.

‘’Nigeria will do better if we don’t condone anybody irrespective of his tribe, religion or region,” he said.