Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party
(LP) in the 2023 elections, says Nigeria’s northern region can transform the
country with its potential.
Obi spoke when he attended a meeting of the national
political consultative group (north) held in Abuja on Sunday.
He criticised the poverty levels in the region, blaming the
situation on a lack of investments.
“And when you have poverty, you have humanity that you
cannot control because when people don’t know where the next meal will come
from, you can never control their actions,” Obi stated.
“And they easily recruit,” he said, referring to bandits
amid worsening insecurity. “It all rests on government to solve it.”
“I’ve always said the north can change Nigeria,” he added.
“The greatest asset of this country is the north. I have
always said it; we can make more money from agriculture than we make from oil.
“This entire country produces less than six million tonnes
of rice; that is less than 10 percent of what Bangladesh produces.
“Bangladesh is a country that lives on 148,600sq of land
that is the size of two northern states: Niger at 76.3 and Borno at 70.8.
equals to what?”
Obi said fixing the region’s poverty levels would have a
positive impact on the fight against insecurity and touted other measures.
“The more you pull people out of poverty, the more you solve
insecurity. We need to invest in education,” he added.
“We can’t talk about free universal basic education when
people are not going to school. Our children are not in school.
“I’ve taken time to go to the north and sat down with the
Almajiri children; they are the most brilliant people God created. If they
can’t go to school, take the school to them.”
Obi expressed optimism that Nigeria can be reformed.
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