Peter Obi: Nigeria shouldn’t be suffering bad governance at 62

Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, has called on Nigerians to remain hopeful in spite of the challenges facing the country.

Obi, in an Independence Day message posted on his verified Twitter handle on Saturday, said it is the duty of the citizens to rescue Nigeria and turn the country around.

He decried that after 62 years of independence, Nigerians are still grappling with issues of bad governance replete with insecurity, worsening economy, corruption, and various forms of abuse of public offices, and all manners of impunity.

While noting that the problems facing the country are not insurmountable, Obi urged Nigerians to have a deep rethink of the political and leadership trajectory in the months and years ahead.

The LP candidate said, “At 62, rather than celebrate our patriotism, nationhood, unity, strength and diversity, Nigerians continue to grapple with the challenges of bad governance, replete with insecurity, worsening economy, corruption, and various forms of abuse of public offices and all manners of impunity.

“Each new day in Nigeria, instead of heralding progress and development, our national population, already weakened by poverty and hardship, are further burdened by new forms of disruptive challenges that are inimical to the societal wellbeing.

“The catalogue of our national malaise are legion, and range from intermittent collapse of our national power grid; our universities remaining shut for 8 months; soaring inflation rate, extreme poverty; insecurity and visceral violence resulting in mindless bloodletting. Our national wealth, both cash and oil are reportedly stolen each day with unfettered impunity. Nigeria bleeds literarily and figuratively.

“These travails are neither measures of national greatness or good leadership. Rather, they represent overarching national interest concerns that must give us pause. They are sobering realities that ought to trigger a deep rethink of our political and leadership trajectory in the months and years ahead. As a nation and people, we cannot lose hope or give up.

“Intractable as our problems are, they are not insurmountable. We can easily overcome them when there is a purposeful and transformative leadership in place; one that will not makes excuses and will not be indifferent to the rule of law, equity and justice. Nigeria holds out hope of unfettered development, growth, greatness and indeed, dreams of infinite possibilities. But we must seize the moment.

“We must rescue and turn our country around. It is our challenge and our duty. We, therefore, cannot ignore the present deafening clarion call for change,” he added.