Victor Ani-Laju, a 38-year-old man who has declared his intention to vie for office of president in the 2023 general election, says his vision is to bring Nigerians from poverty to prosperity and build a New Nigeria all Nigerians will once again, be proud to call their own.
He said this vision is anchored on HELP, an acronym that stands for Health and Housing, Economy and Education, Labour and Leadership as well as Power and Productivity.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, at a press conference, as part of activities to mark his 38th birthday, he decried the parlous state of affairs in the nation, saying “Over 180 million Nigerians still live in extreme poverty without HELP, over 13.5 million children are out-of-school, over 40 million youths are unemployed, the cost of living in Nigeria is abysmally high with a very low minimum wage, bad roads dot the landscape from one part of the country to the other, causing too many avoidable deaths.
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“There is a general lack of the most basic amenities, poor power supply has been the bane of the country, in spite billions of dollars spent on the sector and a privatisation process that leaves so much to be desired, the standard of education has dropped, our healthcare indices are amongst the worst, the level of insecurity is at its worst, injustice has become the order of the day, hunger and starvation pervade the nation and there is a level of micro nepotism as has never been witnessed in the country, going on, with high level corruption.”
According to him, the good people of Nigeria deserve better and cannot continue to live in poverty and disunity, hence his decision to throw his heart into the ring and help in setting the foundation for the actualisation of a new Nigeria.
Emphasising the need for youth involvement in politics, he noted that 21 Century problems cannot be solved with 20th century ideas, even as he clarified that a blend of the new and old order is what is required to move Nigeria forward.
“The time has come for the status quo to change, a time when men and women with a vision to develop this nation and return it’s people to prosperity and peace, must rise and save the nation.
“A time when one does not need to be affiliated to any powers that be, to aspire to be anything in this country.
“A time when Nigerians will rally around and support the child of a nobody but with a vision, to lead them on the path of development and economic recovery,” he added.
Ani-Laju clarified that even though he had youthful energy and fresh ideas to develop the country, age was not the only credential he was bringing to the table, adding that his experience in the private sector and entrepreneurship, having set up and run successful businesses will come to bear if he is eventually elected.
He called on all Nigerians, especially the youth to register, get their permanent voters cards and be involved in the electoral process, saying the youth had shown readiness in that regard.
