By Chidi Nkwopara
OWERRI—National Chairman of All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, has said the country could conveniently pay the N18,000 minimum wage demanded by public servants in Nigeria.

Dr. Onu, who made the stand of his party known while fielding questions from journalists in Owerri, insisted that the workers’ demand was achievable if the conduit pipes through which public funds are siphoned are blocked by government.

“ANPP fully supports the payment of the N18,000 minimum wage to workers. Our party fully supports the payment of what will sustain the worker and his family till the next pay day,” Onu said.

He recalled with grief that 11 years ago, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, promised to improve on the generation and stabilization of public power supply, adding that the promise had remained a distant dream.

“It is sad that so many families cannot pay their hospital bills today. It is also sad that Nigerians have shifted to Egyptian, Indian and South African hospitals for the treatment of ailments because of lack of medical facilities in this country,” the ANPP boss fumed.

Onu said Nigeria could not move forward until Nigerians  elect those that would place her first and not those who will put the interest of their godfathers above the nation.

“Our votes were never counted or made to count in the choice of our political leaders. Indeed, ANPP suffered most because previous polls were not free, fair and credible. If PDP has failed Nigerians, it will not be right to think that ANPP will also fail the country,” Onu reasoned.