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By Kenechukwu Onah
Labour Party presidential candidate in 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, has urged Nigerians to see negative remarks by Nigeria-born UK parliamentarian, Kemi Badenoch and others about Nigeria, as a push to strive for a better country.
He noted that such disturbing remarks are always given about Nigeria even by her citizens. Obi however said that instead of resorting to vilifying those criticising the country, it is better to focus on what can be done to improve the lives of people.
Join our WhatsApp Channel“International reproach, such as that from Badenoch, and negative reviews on official websites warning citizens of the country, should serve as a challenge for us to do better,” Obi stated via his X handle.
“It’s not enough to resort to blind patriotism by vilifying those who point out our shortcomings,” Obi pointed out.
He urged the Nigerian people to see “these criticisms as a catalyst to prioritize critical areas of development and improve the lives of our people.”
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“When negative remarks are featured on a country’s official websites, warning citizens to avoid certain risks, how can we expect to attract investors? These painful rebukes, including those coming from our own, should push us to strive for a new Nigeria.”
Recall that the leader of the UK’s Conservative party, Kemi Badenoch, said during her speech at an event organised by Onward, a British think tank conducting research on economic and social issues on 18th January, that she would not want Britain to be like Nigeria that is plagued by terrible governments.
In her speech, Badenoch expressed her fear saying, “and why does this matter so much to me? It’s because I know what it is like to have something and then to lose it.
“I don’t want Britain to lose what it has.
“I grew up in a poor country and watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer, despite working harder and harder as their money disappeared with inflation.
“I came back to the UK aged 16 with my father’s last £100 in the hope of a better life.
“So I have lived with the consequences of terrible governments that destroy lives, and I never, ever want it to happen here.”
Badenoch has been in the news of late after she dissociated herself from Nigeria, saying she has nothing to do with the Islamic northern region.
She also accused the Nigeria Police of robbing citizens instead of protecting them.
Her remarks are just but one among many of such coming from different individuals who have in one way or the other had an ugly experience in Nigeria.
Obi, however maintained that instead of defending them, they should be a trigger for Nigerians to strive for a better Nigeria.
