Izuchukwu Okosi
Presidential candidate for the Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi on Wednesday cleared the air on some of the issues that has made the rounds in the media space as regards his 2023 aspirations.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe former Governor of Anambra state was speaking on Arise TV as monitored by Prime Business Africa.
On his recent trips to North African countries Egypt and Morocco to understudy some of their sectors as well as the thorny issue of Subsidy, Obi stated that it became imperative to compare what works in those climes and internalise it with the experience at home.
“People have been skeptical about buying Nigerian bonds even at 14/15%. The differential is about 18% in Morocco.
“I drove from Rabat (in Morocco) the capital to the Ports in three and half hours.
“There was no police, no vehicles. You will think there’s nothing happening at the Ports. I was there to learn, to know what they are doing. I was on Egypt – Egypt, Vietnam, India – they have the highest power generation in the last five years.
Obi maintained that fuel subsidy in Nigeria is a scam and its implementation shambolic, while emphasising his resolve to remove subsidies.
“We cannot spend $40bn on subsidy and less than half on education & health.. I will remove subsidy but must create a substitute for it. You cannot remove something without another thing to replace it.
“I don’t want people to vote for me because I am from the Southeast. I want them to vote for me because I’m competent.
“They say I am only qualified to be a VP because I understand the economy and I will handle the economy. I say the economy is the most important issue in the next election so whoever understands the economy should rather be the President,” Obi told Arise TV.
“They said I’m qualified to be the Vice President because of my knowledge of the economy. But Nigeria’s problem is the economy. Why would you bench the player who’s supposed to start the match?”.
“I am building a team, that team has to be formidable full of competent people just like my team in Anambra. I want those who can look in my face and say Mr President you’re wrong cos I don’t know it all.
On the allegations made by Mahdi Shehu that he (Obi) made Northerners wear tags while he was Governor, and that it took the intervention of Kwankwaso to stop it.
“The comments from Kwankwaso is why we are where we are today, we vote for incompetence based on the primitive consideration of tribe & religion.”
“I prefer to work with younger people,with fresh ideas rather than recycling old politicians who feel it’s their turn.”
On his recent visit to Governor Nyesom Wike and his one-day trip to the United Kingdom, Obi said:
“I visited Governor Wike because he governs a stretegic state (Rivers) in the country which is strategic to what I want to achieve in the country. He supported me as Governor of Anambra.
“I visited the largest producer of rice in Kano and I’m supporting him financially and he is doing well. Let’s remove the issue of East and North or West.
“I was in the UK, arrived on a Sunday for my meeting on Monday and left same Monday in the evening. My stay to any country has not been more than a day.
“My recent trips abroad were necessary because I need to meet with those that will fund these things we set out to achieve,” Obi stressed.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
