The level of insecurity in Nigeria is unacceptable and requires all hands to be on deck in the search for workable solutions. This is according to the Vice Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2019 elections, Mr Peter Obi.
“There is insecurity everywhere in Nigeria and not only in the South-East,” Obi observed during a chat with newsmen over the weekend at the burial of Chief Paulinus Anyika at Akokwa, Imo State. According to him, the insecurity “is the cumulative effect of poor governance. It is also the result of bad and offensive examples by the leaders.”
“We the leaders, past and present, are every day attending graduation ceremonies of our children in expensive local and foreign schools, even advertising same in the media while completely neglecting education in the country. Those at the receiving end are bound to react in sync with what I have always said that the society we abuse today will take its revenge tomorrow,” Obi said.
Asked if he would consider running for the presidency in 2023, the former Anambra State Governor said: “This is not the time to be talking about politics or the 2023 elections. The country is in big crises and what should be of interest to everyone is what to do about the high level of insecurity in the country, the problem of youth unemployment, and families not being able to take care of their needs. These are things that should concern us and not 2023.”
Obi identified economic crisis as the main cause of the worsening security and other problems in the country, saying that a lasting solution also has to be economic.
“Nigeria,” he said, “has an economic problem. If you want to solve these problems, especially the worsening insecurity we have to focus on the economy. If I have a job; if I have to go to work and come back I won’t have time to think of crime.”
Obi noted that this is working in several developing countries, example South America, Brazil, Mexico, as well as many Asian countries such as Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, among others. Even Africa countries like Ghana demonstrably have a focus.
“In Brazil, Obi said, they used to have gangs; they are pulling them down by building factories and that is what Nigerian leaders should do. They also have to realize that there is no alternative to education and invest heavily in it, as well as in the health sector. If you’re not pulling people out of poverty, you’re bound to have a high rate of insecurity,” Obi said.
Obi, who admitted that part of the problem is political, good governance is critical. Obi urged all stakeholders to work together and sacrifice to pull Nigeria out of her present crisis.