The Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, has called on governments to take people-centred action to create decent jobs and protect livelihoods, as the world moves to a carbon-neutral economy just as Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lashed out at President Muhammadu Buhari, claiming that he went off-the-point answer to questions at the United Nations General Assembly interactive session.
According to the PDP, the gaffe is a further confirmation that President Buhari lacks the prerequisite education to hold office as the Nigerian leader.
Spokesman for the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement says the PDP holds that Buhari’s off-the-point speech on climate change, as response to direct and simple question on his plan for the youth, confirms Mr. President’s personal inability to understand and effectively communicate in English language as required by Section 318 (iii) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The PDP, Ologbondiyan said, ‘’notes that President Buhari’s failure to comprehend the question put to him and respond accordingly trashes his claims of attending education to school certificate level and possessing a WAEC certificate, and further brings to light the reasons for his inability to attach any educational certificate as required in INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) form CF001.’’
Continuing, the party said it was obvious to all that because of President Buhari’s inability to understand and communicate in English language (as required by the constitution), he failed to distinguish the fact that the text already prepared for him by his handlers had no correlation with question put to him at the UN.
‘’Nigerians can now see why the Buhari administration has remained miserably incompetent, lacking in fact and desired capacity to manage the affairs of a nation as complex, demanding and multifarious like Nigeria. Moreover, it has also exposed why the Buhari Presidency overtly lacks the intellect and confidence to engage other world leaders, a situation that has led to the diminishing of the integrity of our nation in the international arena, in addition to the dearth in foreign direct investment under his watch’’, the PDP said.
Consequently, the opposition has cautioned the Presidency over its press statement in which it allegedly poured insults on Nigerians for commenting on President Buhari’s ‘’embarrassing outing at the UN’’, adding, ‘’instead of insulting Nigerians, the Presidency should apologise to our citizens over the embarrassments constantly brought to our nation by President Buhari.’’
Sanchez was speaking as the Director-General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Guy Ryder, said “a just transition means ensuring the climate actions we take protect the planet, people and the economy. This Initiative is designed to encourage policy coherence around measures that boost decent green job opportunities, skills development, and enterprise innovation, along with social protection measures for the vulnerable.”
Ryder welcomed the commitments made by countries to make national plans for a just transition and create decent green jobs. ILO data shows that measures to green the production and energy use could lead to job gains of some 24 million jobs by 2030.
Announcing the Climate Action for Jobs Initiative , just ahead of the UN Climate Action Summit in New York,, UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, said, “business cannot succeed on a planet that fails. Jobs cannot be sustained on a dying planet. We will need government, businesses and people everywhere to join these efforts so we can put climate action into a higher gear.”
The Initiative sets out specific measures for countries to include in national plans, including:
Assessing the employment, social, and economic impact of climate action.
- Implementing skills development and upgrading measures.
- Designing innovative social protection policies to protect workers and vulnerable groups.
- Increasing the transfer of technology and knowledge to developing countries, alongside innovation and responsible investment.
- Fostering a conducive business environment to enable enterprises, particularly SMEs, to adopt low-carbon production processes.
- Devising economic policies and incentives to support and encourage enterprises’ transition towards the environmentally sustainable production of goods and services.
- Creating mechanisms for inclusive social dialogue to build consensus for transformative and sustainable change.
The ILO Guidelines for a Just Transition , adopted by governments and representatives of employers’ and workers’ organisations, offer a framework to guide the transition to low-carbon economies.
Implementation of the initiative will be led by the ILO, with support from other partners, including the International Trade Union Confederation and the International Organisation of Employers.
Meanwhile, addressing delegates at the Climate Summit, Prime Minister Sanchez said, “’the economic transition that we need cannot leave anyone behind, it has to be a just transition. Our climate-related ambitions and social commitments must also go hand in hand with the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
“Spain intends to be at the forefront of a transition that puts people at the center of the action. Spain wants to promote an international just transition partnership with the ILO.”
The commitments represent a significant engagement by governments, employer organisations, trade unions, UN agencies and civil society to pursue a common agenda to advance a just transition to environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all.
