For Peter Obi, the simple way to fix Nigeria is to oust the incompetent and bring in people of excellence.
The Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi and his running mate, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed on Sunday were special guests on the Peoples Townhall.
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| Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi |
At the event which held in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the LP flagbearer and his compatriot discussed their plans for the country if elected.
Obi spoke on a couple of issues including but not limited to security, economy, education, health, amongst others.
The former Anambra State governor who has been established as the leading candidate in several online surveys, also constructively gave reply to certain statements darted at him by other contenders in the presidential race.
Below are 8 very critical statements Peter Obi made at the engagement which was anchored on how to sustain Nigeria’s shared democracy. Peter Obi fielded questions from many Nigerians on specific challenges confronting the nation and did not mince words on how to tackle them.
1. Fuel subsidy is an organised crime, it will go immediately
Obi has promised that if elected in next month’s polls, he will see to it that subsidy is removed as planned by the incumbent administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“I can assure you, it will go immediately. Subsidy – I’ve said it before – is organised crime and I will not allow it to stay a day longer.
“What they’re telling you is not what it is. Half of what is being mentioned is not subsidy. First is that we consume the quantity that is not supposed to be consumed here. We are the same population with Pakistan. They consume below 50 percent of what we consume.
“So, the first half, I will remove it and give those people who are drinking it water – because that’s what they’re supposed to drink – so we can save the money,” the LP flagbearer stressed.
According to him, no reasonable country will spend money on subsidy at the expense of qualitative education and good healthcare facilities.
2. Discuss with every agitator
The LP presidential candidate also spoke about various agitations across the country which are threatening the nation’s peace, he said, “we are in a democratic dispensation; you govern by discussing, you govern by consensus. So, I will sit down and discuss with every agitator without exception of name.
“We must use carrot and stick (approach).
“I will discuss with those who want to discuss. You have to look at what is causing agitations today; it is issues of injustice, issues of where there is no fairness, issues to do with poverty, unemployment.”
According to him, when a government begins to address the issues and engage citizens in discussions, and bring them to the table, no agitator anywhere in the world will see reason to foment chaos, because at the time, there needs would have been met.
3. Dismantle confusion in Ports Administration
He said successive governments deliberately didn’t want to open up the ports and the economy.
“We are going to dismantle the confusion in the ports administration and get this country to work.
“All the oceans you see are ports. What is happening to Ibom? Look at the Port Harcourt terminal started by Shagari. It is not functioning as it should. Look at Warri and Calabar ports; they deliberately don’t want to open up the ports and the economy,” he said.
Speaking on what will be done to improve the efficiency of Ports’ infrastructure and services, Mr Obi said he would dismantle the confusion in Ports Administration and get the country to work.
According to him, the reason the ports seem to be operating inefficiently is because people are feeding off the inefficiencies and as such, they must be removed.
He further states that he will allow the private sector to build ports and manage them in collaboration with the government.
4. Declare war on Power Sector
As regards what he will do to take Nigeria out of the doldrums of darkness, Mr Obi promised to copy what was done in South Africa and Egypt to tackle the issue of power generation and distribution in Nigeria.
“We have to open up like South Africa has done. They have power issues like us, even [though] they are 60 million and they are generating almost 40-something-thousand, they declared [a state of] emergency and said anybody can generate up to 100,000 megawatts without license,” Obi noted.
“If somebody who is 60 million (sic) generating almost 50,000 declared [an] emergency, we declare war here on power. If it will consume everybody, it will consume us, but we will get power.
“Egypt did the same thing. Egypt had about 20,000. One of their studies showed that power is a critical issue. Today, Egypt is generating almost 50,000. In fact, Egypt is exporting power to Europe. If these things can be done around us – South Africa and Egypt – why not Nigeria?”
5. Nigerian women more productive, less corrupt
The LP candidate did not also mince words when he stated that women are more productive in Nigeria and are less corrupt compared to their male counterparts.
He promised Nigerians and all those present at the townhall that he will bring more women into government if elected as the president in the February 25 election.
“I can say it without anything; women are more productive in Nigeria than men any day any time. I worked with them when I was in the banking industry, they saved the bank. When they believe in anything they go for it.
“I wish our men will do the same thing. And they (women) are less corrupt; they are easily satisfied with little. Men will just go on and on forgetting that it is public money they are taking. I am very sorry about that, men. I am one of you but I have to say the truth of what I observed,” Obi said.
6. No one can say I stole public funds
Mr Obi went on to address jabs aimed at him by the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, mocking him as ‘Mr Stingy.’
Expressing his disdain for the comment which he found as a humour in distaste, the former Anambra governor said he is happy no one would fault him for refusing to steal public funds.
“It’s good that when my opponents talk. Let us talk about corruption. One of the things that are killing this country today is Corruption Perception Index, which is measured by how you manage public assets, nepotism, how you share the land, how you manage your money, and everything.
“I’ve challenged everyone to say, ‘Go and see whether there is anywhere a kobo of Anambra State money is missing.’ Saving has now become an issue. When people have stolen all the money and impoverished the country and you are now questioning a man who left the money without anybody telling me to leave it and go,” he said.
At a recent campaign in Ekiti State, Mr Obi urged Nigerians to reject moneybag politicians in the February 25 election.
He said moneybags have played several roles in Nigeria’s history but most of all, they have brought Nigerians poverty.
7. Revisit Women Bills Rejected By NASS
The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has vowed to give special attention to women if he becomes president.
He made the promise while responding to questions at the People’s Townhall 2023 organised by Channels Television on Sunday.
Obi vowed to revisit all the bills relating to women which were rejected by the 9th National Assembly.
Five gender equality bills were all rejected by the National Assembly in March 2022.
How Nigeria can win in 2023
The rejected proposals which seek to alter the Constitution are Bills 35, 36, 37, 38 & 68 which are: bill to provide for special seat for women in the National and State Assembly, a bill to expand the scope of citizenship by registration, bill to provide for affirmative action for women in political party administration, bill to provide criteria for qualification to become an indigene of a state in Nigeria and bill to give women a quota in the federal and state executive councils or ministerial and commissionership seats.
When Obi was asked about what he would do about the rejected bills, he said: “We will revisit them”.
“I will re-present the bills and they will be passed under me,” Obi said
8. No universities will be on strike, education to get priority investment
His assurance came when a member of the audience quizzed him about his plan for education in the country, taking into account the 8.2 percent allocation education received from the Federal Government’s 2023 budget.
In responding, Obi urged the audience to disassociate their thinking from referring to education as a cost instead of an investment.
“Education is an investment, not an expense, because the more your country is educated, the greater the development,” Obi said. “So, if you look at it as an investment… that’s why I said you’ll get more if you fund critical social investment.”
When redirecting his thought process to funding education, Obi presented a plan that included introducing many strategies to ensure that the universities are well funded and properly function.
“First, it is a combination of a lot of things. Our universities today are poorly funded, and all the tertiary institutions are poorly funded,” he said.
“One is that you need to change the method of funding them. The country has to contribute, while the companies are to continue with the TETFUND contribution, and we will do a combination of loan system that will enable the student to pay what is required. We are not going to burden their parents—every other country I know, including developing countries, has changed.
“So it is going to be a contribution in three ways in order to be able to fund tertiary institutions properly, and I assure you that we are going to do everything to get it.
“One, there will be no strike again. We are not going to close school for any reason because, at the tertiary level, where the global average is 38 percent, we are at 9 percent.
“So we are not going to take chances. We are going to do so many other things—so it’s not just people being in universities. In Pakistan, there is a university that has almost 1 million students.”
“There’s no reason why we can’t do it with all forms of learning here… I assure you no university will be on strike except his own (Yusuf Datti University) is on strike.”
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