By Akinwale Kasali

Labour Party, LP, Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi has lamented the pathetic state of the Nigerian Nation. He also blamed ethnic agitation as a product of failed leadership.

The former Anambra State Governor said that the absence justice, equity and fairness has plunged the Nation to its present sorry state. The narrative needs to be changed, he submitted

He spoke while fielding questions at the Chatham House, London, on Monday January 16, 2023.

Obi said he was not in support of ethnic agitators, but stated that it is important to address and identify the causes of their agitations and find a lasting solution to it.

Ajiboye Tunmise from Huddersfield University asked Obi about his alleged refusal to condemn the activities of members of the secessionist group, Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB. In his response,  Obi said: “Many are not following me. Even yesterday, I spoke about Biafra being ended 53 years ago. It’s all over the place in the cyberspace.”

“I condemn all agitators, but in condemning them, you have to look at what brought about these agitations all over the place.

“Not only IPOB. We have (the) Yoruba Nation movement and all sorts. When you have created this level of massive poverty where 63 per cent of your population is poor, you’re going to create all sorts of problems,” Obi said.

He also stated that the unemployment rate in the country added to the ethnic agitations being experienced, noting that all was a cumulative effect of leadership failure over the years.

“I was speaking to a British Minister this morning that we have about 40 per cent unemployment (rate) and about 60 per cent youth unemployment (rate), young people in their productive ages doing nothing. If you have 15 per cent unemployment rate in Britain today, you’re going to have massive agitation. Nobody will be able to leave his house.

“So, what you’re seeing is a cumulative effect of leadership failure over the years which will be solved by good governance; when people start seeing justice, fairness and inclusive government and doing the right things, all those things will start reversing themselves. And that is what I and Datti (Baba Ahmed) are offering,” he said.

Obi added that he would engage all agitators in the country, insisting that there was nothing wrong with that approach to resolve the issue.

“I will talk and discuss with agitators, and there’s nothing wrong in that. People agitate in my house and I talk with them,” he stated.

The Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Mr Peter Obi, was a Guest of Chatham House, the famous British international Policy institute. There, he told the excited audience that Nigeria’s Presidency, with him and Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed in charge, will dismantle inefficiency and eliminate transactional policies that breed corruption in government.

Obi, who took over 15 questions from the audience after his brilliant paper on various sectors, said they will dismantle the structure of criminality which they have been using to hold the country hostage.

Stating that “there will be no sacred cow” under the Obi-Datti administration, the Labour Party Presidential candidate said that “our objective is to dismantle these structures of criminality and enthrone competence, character, and capability so that talents and ideas can flourish.”

On how he intends to cope with possibly having a National Assembly that may be dominated by other parties, Obi said he went through such experience as Governor of Anambra state when none of the 30 members of the State of Assembly came from his political party, adding that what he needed to navigate such case is to do the right thing, avoid nepotism and transactional policies,  because even the parliamentarians desire good governance.

Responding to a question on the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), and why he has not condemned them, Obi said that for him and many other reasonable Nigerians, including the Igbo, the Biafra war ended 53 years ago. But he is not oblivious of the agitators’ demands for justice.

According to him, “we are going to look into the issue of justice and marginalization which  some of them are hinging their grievances on.

“We are going to apply the carrot and stick method in dealing with the agitators. But in the end there can only be one Government and we will be in charge.”

On how to attract investors to Nigeria which was asked by a former British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright, Obi likened what he intends to do to attract investors to bee and honey, and said he will create an enabling environment where rule of law thrives and will avoid any transactional policies which breeds corruption and weakens governance.

On security, Obi said it will be his top priority because everything will be done to secure the environment and he will do this by first turning the country into production and pulling people out of poverty and adequately utilizing our military.

Obi noted: “Our military once secured Africa and they should secure Nigeria and we will provide the needed leadership and political will.”

He also answered questions on the independence of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), saying that what is happening in the apex bank now is a consequence of a mix up of responsibilities and not necessarily of competence, a situation he assured his regime will correct by ensuring that square pegs are in square holes both in personnel and policies.

Obi also said that the on-going fiscal rascality in the system will be dismantled and order and discipline injected into the country’s monetary policies.

On how to navigate the so called ‘big boys’ to be able to see through his beautiful policies if elected, the LP standard bearer said the challenge will be surmounted as there will be no sacred cow.

The former Anambra state Governor also provided convincing answers to questions on education, Health, debt servicing among others to win the consistent applause from the audience.

Obi gave indication of his preparedness for the program when he was offered a seat by the moderator of the program, and he respectfully rejected it, saying the problem in Nigeria his country is so serious and not for sitting down. He stood all through the nearly two hours program.

Millions of people within and outside the country followed the program via social media and 99% of the comment’s eulogized the Candidate for his brilliant outing.