2019: Sowore's clarifications on commercialisation of marijuana and 100k minimum wage.

Dansabe Kuni, Peter Oyebanji

The Africa Action Congress (AAC) Presidential candidate in the 2019 general election, Omoyele Sowore has made clarifications about his intention to commercialise marijuana and peg the minimum wage at a hundred thousand naira, if elected.

It was reported that the Sahara Reporter's publisher, in an interview said; "We have to start taking care of our weed, igbo, such that we can also contribute to the GDP of the world. Some of the best weed in the world are grown in Ekiti state. I'm very serious and people are making billions out of that particular plant that is very potent in Nigeria. We should be focusing on it."

Also, as earlier reported in a debate on minimum wage, Mr. Sowore promised to increase the minimum wage to one hundred thousand naira if given the mandate.

 Meanwhile, these two topics, overtime, have generated heated arguments amongst Nigerians and have been met with several criticisms.

Mr. Sowore clarified on these topics at a town hall meeting held in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, which had AAC governorship and senatorial candidates, the Chairman of Congress of Nigerian Universities' Academics (CONUA), Niyi Sumonu and former OAU Students' Union President, Lanre Adeleke, in attendance.

 

Mr. Sowore said he is not after setting a one hundred thousand minimum wage but a life-long plan aimed at improving the living condition of the working people in the country. 

"I am not clamouring for a hundred thousand minimum wage but a living wage. Nigeria is serving the greedies. It is time to start serving the needies," He said

In an attempt to address the rumour of his intention to legalise marijuana, he said that, "There is no intentions on my own part to legalise cannabis. But all I intend to do is to export and sell the endowed product to people and countries that need them.

 "This is because Nigeria is having the best of this product. In fact, it has become the oil of the world. It is a big product that can fetch us fortunes in Nigeria" he added.

While addressing the social challenges such as bad roads, fluctuating and unstable electricity, the Presidential candidate reiterated that some of the key strategies to be put in place is attending to the renovation of construction projects poorly executed or yet to be completed.

"We are ready to close down everything that is wrong in the African biggest country, Nigeria, and whatever that will take us back. We are not going back. Get yourself  out of mental slavery. Our time is the time of freedom, next year, 2019." He urged the audience.

"As a president, I will never commission a project but I will make sure all projects are completed for use and within the first years in office, we plan to hire five million Nigerians through our digitally wired and brainy plans," Mr. Sowore added

Furthermore, Mr. Sowore criticized Nigeria's past and current leaders, claimed the country has been ruled by Morons since 1999.

"We're going through "Morontocracy" not democracy, starting from Obasanjo's administration, we have been ruled by morons." 

"Our leaders don't have intellect, they don't think. A man who is looking for his certificate at 76 is an idiot. How can you be looking for a certificate that is with Cambridge in WAEC?"

When posed with the question of how he planned to emerge considering less participation by AAC in the  National Assembly and presenting only 20 contestants from his party for the senate, Mr. Sowore said; 

"Do you know that if these 20 senators emerge, the senate will not remain the same? 20 vibrant senators will change the current senate. How many senators do you know in the United Kingdom? How many senators do you know in America? Countries don't elect senators to change their fortune, they elect president."

The AAC presidential candidate when responding to a question asked about corruption made it clear that even though some people have told him not to talk about how he intend to treat corrupt leaders, he will always be direct on how he planned to curb corruption. 

"I will be clear about fighting corruption. If we find out that someone stole 20 years ago, we will jail the person even if he only has a day left to live. If you are collecting Abacha's loot, you should be collecting Obasanjo's loot, you should be collecting Babangida's loot. Loot is loot!"

The chairman of CONUA, Dr. Sumonu, who endorsed Mr Sowore's candidacy, urged  him not to campaign but to enlighten Nigerians. 

"You don't need to campaign, you just need to enlighten. What we need is enlightenment. If you're campaigning, it shows you're not different than the others."

Another, member of the audience who commented on the event, a student, Ajibade Kolawole, said

"He (Mr. Sowore) has spoken well, he has points. Although, easier said than done."

 

 When asked if he thinks Sowore spoke less about how he plans on achieving his programmes and focused more on criticizing, Kolawole said "is that not how politics is played? Weaken your opponent and strengthen yourself."