By Ben Kerrigan-
LONDON- Nigeria’s presidential hopeful, Peter Obi has promised to deliver competent leadership and character to Nigerians if and when he becomes president after the Nigerian 2023 elections, as he expressed the many steps he will take to transform a troubled nation with multiple problems of a complex nature.
Obi , 61, who has the most impressive record among former governors of Nigeria, spoke at Chaltham House in London on Monday, where he addressed several questions from an audience that mainly comprised of the Nigerian diaspora living in England.
Against his many ideas in solving the problem facing Africa’s most populous country, is crippling level of corruption, and the fact that Nigeria’s former leaders have always made empty promises that have never materialised, and the undeniable fact that corruption is rife in the can find its way through the team of an honest leader.
Obi has no known skeletons in his closet, but will need a magical wand to beat corruption in a country that is one of the world leaders in that department , and used it as a means for survival with corrupt leaders.
Talking like the miracle man to pull Nigeria out of its horror state, Obi gives the impression of one who will mastermind a revolution governed by dutiful saints committed to building a new Nigeria, beating corruption, creating jobs for the many unemployed, uniting tribal tensions, and ending the custom of power cuts which most Nigerians have grown accustomed to all their lives.
Through his mighty powers of excellent leadership, doing such a marvellous job that the youths who have fled the country to the Uk and The US for want of a better life will suddenly come back to sing his praises.
He paints a rosey scenario for the despondent multi millions stuck in a country that produces no answers for them to vote for him next month. Nigerians can only dream of the heavenly picture he paints to restore Nigeria back on the map.
Indeed, should his bid to become president of his failing country be successful, he will do a lot better than most of his predecessors, but no all round magic will occur overnight to make it anything comparable to the relative paradise enjoyed in Britain or America.
A notable notable transition from a hopeless state to a significantly improved country might be a safe bet under his charge, for his speaks with a knowledge and sincerity that cannot be seriously attacked given his history.
Obi, an accomplished businessman with a good track record as governor of Anambra State, promised to solve Nigeria’s decade long power supply problem , make tertiary education free at the point of use for Nigerian children whose parents cannot afford the higher private school education which is normally the preserve of the well off, but in recent years has been a necessity for every respectable Nigerian family that want ta very good education for their child, and also promised to solve tribal tensions in the country by ensuring inclusivity.
”The time truly is here for competent leadership and character, commitment and compassion” he said, as he finalised his one hour session with the crowd in which he made reference to his record during his tenure as governor of Anambra State. The day I left office, I was not owing any salary and Anambra has not given me even a bottle of water back”, he said. His comments were designed to assure Nigerians that they will see a transformed country under his leadership in which salaries will consistently be paid across the country.
Nigeria’s professionals are no stranger to going months without being salary due to serious mismanagement and high corruption levels, leaving many in a state of despair and hopelessness. The luckiest of them are consistently paid, but business is the most secure form of earning in a country where unemployment and inflation remains high.
Obi promised to fight and beat corruption, and use ”compassion” and ”love” to solve the many problems facing Nigeria. He spoke of the traumas affecting Nigeria, describing the country as one in economic crisis, lamenting the fact Nigeria has overtaking India in terms of poverty, despite India being seven times bigger in size.
What Nigeria needs is a ”big escape” he said for the sustainable growth of the country which he said has been badly led for decades. Obi said he was motivated by the idea of institutional change saying that his running mate is committed to reversing the scars of bad leadership and eradicate poverty and inequity, building strong institutions and making the rule of law a key anchor of progress in Nigeria.
He promised a robust transformation of security government structures to address the security issues in Nigeria and create a partnership with stakeholders in a collaborative manner to achieve export and revenue generation, employing entrepreneurial governance to restructure the polity of the country and institutionalise change.
Obi said the problem with Nigeria is squarely with its leadership and the lack of commitment and compassion in leading with example to create a new Nigeria characterised by sustainable growth . He said 63% of the Nigerian population is poor and 40 %
He promised to dismantle the gang profiting from generators and causing perpetual short of electricity supply. ‘I’m going to declare war on power and I will solve it” he said.
Responding to a question from a foreign British ambassador to Nigeria who now advises on foreign direct investment investors as to how he will ease the caution felt by investors looking at Nigeri is like bee and honey. All you need to do is crate honey and bee will find it,, he said. We will build that intangible asset of fighting corruption.
He challenged people to look at his record and see if there is anywhere he has compromised. Go and check my record, the day I left office, I was not owing any salary, pension or gratuity. I left over $150m when I left government, and there is no land assigned to me directly or indirectly. Anambra has never bought me a bottle of water. The first thing is to start with yourselves, he said. If nobody around you is corrupt, you will reduce corruption by 50%.
Those who left even the young people will come back. People will come back if there is a country to come back to. This green passport(pointing to the Nigerian passport) people must be proud to use it”, he said.
He attributed the reason behind ethnic tension to exclusion, marginalization, saying ”we will show compassion, we will show love, we will lead from the front”
”We will have a Nigeria with the rule of law and it will be a level playing field for everybody. I want to solve the problem”, Obi said.
In tackling insecurity he said: ”securing Nigeria will be our first commitment. It will be carrot and stick. We will talk with them. This is the time to resonate that spirit used to secure Africa, and we will deal with it”, he said.
The character and leadership he promises cannot be denied , first his main battle may be in beating the corruption that may stand in his way of winning the election against his two main rivals , Bola Tinubu and Atiku, who are a lot more financially equipped to mobilise more votes and render Obi’s well intended vision no more than a dream.
Reliable sources in Nigeria, particularly in the media believe Peter Obi is the best man to lead the country and bring about a much needed change, and have expressed far more faith in his integrity than his two opponents.