The Peoples Democratic presidential aspirant, Peter Obi,has stated that Nigerians must challenge their leaders over the usage of public funds.
The former Governor of Anambra State, said this at Let’s Talk 2023, a Nigeria Info radio programme, on Friday.
Obi who referred to the reported 75bn he saved for Anambra State while also investing in critical infrastructure said that he “cut down the cost of governance and above all, I insisted from day one that we must save money.” and that he would do same if voted as the President of Nigeria.
While responding to the alleged mismanagement of funds by his successor, former governor Obiano, he said “It is the people. I have lived in the Western world, the people are important when it comes to checks and balances.“He said the people have a right to demand accountability and reject policies that do not work for them. “But what you see here is that people, knowing that things are going wrong, are celebrating it,” Obi added.
The former governor of Anambra State stressed that Nigerians across states must demand accountability from their leaders from time to time.
Obi also noted that he would be able to cut down the cost of governance by not only cutting down the salaries of legislators but also that of the executive. He assured Nigerians that if voted in as President he would be able to convince the legislators with his sincerity as he would invest the resources of the country in important areas of the economy.
He said that Nigeria’s economy would thrive if it would invest in Youth entrepreneurship and education so that it could provide for the fundamental areas of development, health, education, and standard of living. He claimed that he would execute governance with ease and clarity of purpose if voted as president in 2023.
Obi lamented the spate of insecurity, and the Abuja-Kaduna attack, he said that investments in security should be a pre-emptive action by the Federal Government.
“You don’t wait for thieves before you put a lock on your door. Our security system is below what it is meant to be in terms of equipment and investment. Security is the first line of intangible assets. It is one of the factors that investors will look at when they want to engage your country,” he added.
He said that if the government had put in place the needed security infrastructure the Kaduna-Abuja train attack would not have happened. “The government needs to do more and respond differently.”
While proffering solutions, he urged the Federal Government to find ways to provide jobs for the teeming unemployed youths, Obi said, “We have natural security and critical security. National Security, people must have a means of livelihood, today we have 33% Unemployment rate, if you combine it with the underemployment rate you have 65%. You are going to have security problems because this group is in their productive ages, when you provide them with jobs then you can now provide critical security,” he said.
