Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Dumebi Kachikwu has pleaded with university teachers to sacrifice one more time by calling off the strike.
Kachikwu said a government that is “broke” cannot afford to meet their demands.
“Lecturers. go back to classes. You have sacrificed before. Sacrifice one more time for the sake of our children. This government can’t afford to pay your demands. They are broke.
“They can’t give what they don’t have. Please go back to classes and save the future of our children” he said.
The ADC standard-bearer spoke during an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BOT) meeting of the party in Abuja yesterday.
Kachikwu also appealed to medical doctors in the country to refrain from seeking greener pastures abroad but to use their knowledge to better the health of Nigerians.
Stating that it is illogical for medical professionals to ply their trade outside the shores of Nigeria, he asked: “Are we going to leave our healthcare to quacks? “Do we let ourselves be killed? Kachikwu also spoke on the rising religious and ethnic divide in the country, insecurity and the economy
He urged Nigerians not to allow religion, ethnicity and language to divide them ahead of the 2023 general elections.
On insecurity, the presidential hopeful said: “President Buhari has shown us all what change is. People affected by the Stockholm Syndrome love their captors and prefer them to those who will try to save them,
“Do we wait for the next rain of bombs on our cities? Do we wait for the next calamity? Please look around you and understand that all is not well with us.
“Nigerians are hungry, Nigerians are suffering, and Nigerians are afraid. This is the hill before us. We must understand that we must first have a country before we can talk of elections. Who will save Nigeria? Who will save Nigeria from her government? Who will save Nigerians from Nigerians? You.
“Today, we must reset. Today, we must chart a new course. Today, we must choose to fight for Nigeria. Today, we must fight for ourselves. Let us look within us and find the courage to start again.
“We must take our country back from these evil men. We must resist all invaders. We must defend our lands, our cities, and our country, block by block.
“This is our patriotic duty. No longer will we let religion, tribe and tongue divide us. Those who have destroyed our country are from all tribes, tongues and religions.
“We must not be deceived. They are in the minority. We are in the majority. We have suffered and endured for too long and we must endure for a little while longer.”.
He insisted that the present political leaders have lost focus, saying it will take the collective efforts of the masses to vote them out of office.