Nigeria@63: A new Nigeria is possible —Peter Obi
Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the February 25 general election, has urged Nigerians not to despair about the country’s agonizing predicament 63 years after independence from colonial domination.
Obi charged Nigerians with remaining steadfast and hopeful that a new Nigeria is still a possibility.
Obi, in an Independence message to Nigerians, on Saturday, said: ”Even amidst grave uncertainties and apparent hardship, the citizens of Nigeria are experiencing due to persistent leadership failure after 63 years of our nationhood, the situation might be critical, but certainly not hopeless.”
The LP presidential candidate stated that the real reason Nigerians have remained visibly mired in poor governance and poverty after 63 years is that successive administrations have attempted to suppress conscientious people through policies, actions, and inactions in order for them to remain in power.
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He said, “The evidence of elite consensus on the way forward on structure and nation-building remains a core problem.”
Obi drew an analogy between a nation’s life and the parameters of modern technology; “if the input is garbage in then the output will be garbage out.
“When you Google a subject, the response you get will be based on the questions you input. Every nation invariably determines its own fate and destiny; and gets the leadership it deserves.
“Nigeria cannot be an exception. If we subscribe to rogue leadership, then we must face the attending consequences,” he declared.
Obi also said, “At 63 years, what type of questions are Nigerians asking of their leaders and what type of answer are we expecting?
“If at 63 years we cannot conduct an election to allow the will of the people to prevail, what type of country do we expect?
“Every year on October 1 since 1960 we try to review our life as a nation but on looking back can we say that where we are is where we are supposed to be despite our vast human and natural resources?
“The answer is no.”
Despite current realities, Obi expressed hope for a future Nigeria but emphasised that the burden of responsibility is on Nigerians to reclaim their country from those engaged in State capture.
Obi wished Nigerians a happy Independence Day and prayed for God’s ongoing mercy and grace on the country.
