The Labour Party’s nominee for president, Mr. Peter Obi, has said that with the correct and purposeful leadership, Nigeria can overcome its many problems. He was speaking at the Finotel Hotel in Awka today when the compendium on him called “Many Voices, One Perspective” was presented to the general audience.
Obi, who reaffirmed his conviction that Nigeria needs to make a “conscious, planned, and aggressive transition from consumption to production,” said he was moved when he saw images on the news a few days ago showing how the United Arab Emirates plans to use technology to harvest their first crop of wheat grown entirely in a desert environment.
The recent World Food Programme (WEP) report, which stated that Nigeria, particularly Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa, would be severely affected by hunger this year, was described as “disheartening” by Obi, who added that such news were unsettling to him in light of the possibilities that exist in Nigeria but have not been fully realised by our leaders.
According to statistics provided by Obi, the combined land area of the three states—Borno (70.9 sq km), Yobe (45.5 sq km), and Adamawa (36.5 sq km)—amounts to 152.9 sq km, which is much larger than Israel’s 22.1 sq km—yet Israel feeds itself and exports excess to the rest of the world. Obi stated that Nigeria would prosper with the right leadership, which was his pledge.
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Commenting on the political situation in Nigeria, Obi declared that, under the assumption that the judiciary would follow the law, he would become president of Nigeria in due course. He praised the Obidient Family for having faith in him and urged them to occasionally apologise to the elders in keeping with the African concept of respecting our dads even when they were in error.
“In our journey to New Nigeria, I am very committed, I am not on transit to anywhere. I have committed to the struggle for a better nation, no matter how long it takes,” Obi said.
Sen. Victor Umeh, the senator-elect for the Anambra Central Senatorial District, spoke at the occasion and praised Obi as one of the finest Nigerians to have ever lived and had a beneficial influence on many people’s lives. He characterised him as development-focused and asserted that Obi is the focal point of any serious political discussion in the nation.
Earlier, in his introductory remarks, Prof. Chinyere Stella Okunna, the book’s principal editor, thanked Nigerians for their support of Obi. She said that the book’s public readings were yet another strategy to help Obi’s political ascent to the presidency.
The traditional ruler of Agulu, Obi’s hometown, Igwe Innocent Obodoakor, who praised Obi as a deserving son of Agulu whose pedigree speaks for itself, as well as several politicians, well-wishers, and other “Obidients” attended the celebration.
