Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi has advised President Bola Tinubu to focus on solving Nigeria’s problems instead of counting them at every speech. Obi stated this on Monday while reacting to the president’s Sunday speech following outbreak of protests across the country over hardship......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
He said he hesitated to respond immediately, as he “felt it could have been perceived as another attempt by Peter Obi to sway public opinion, especially since I was initially accused of sponsoring the protest.”
He thanked the President for finally addressing the people, but sisd it was belated as his timely address would “have prevented the unnecessary loss of innocent lives, including those of our security agents.”
He said while he had hoped that, in consoling the families of those who lost their loved ones in the protest, the president would also shown some empathy towards those who were “injured, arrested, and detained due to the overzealous and unprofessional conduct of some security operatives, this was unfortunately not the case.”
He stressed that it is the responsibility of the government to identify criminal elements attempting to disrupt the protest through looting and other unlawful behaviours and to protect those genuinely exercising their democratic rights.
Nigeria must embrace all tenets of democracy, he said highlighting that it include the right to protest, without selective adherence.
He appreciated the president’s condemnation of the ethnic bigotry being propagated by some individuals against other ethnic groups.
He however, said he had hoped for more decisive action, such as the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible, to demonstrate that such intolerance will not be tolerated in today’s Nigeria.
The President’s address regrettably he said appeared disconnected from the harsh realities faced by the people and failed to address critical issues that initially triggered the protest.
“It either reflects a lack of awareness among his advisers regarding the scale of anger, hunger, and hardship in the country, or a deliberate choice to disregard it.
“At this point, I strongly advise the President to distance himself from sycophants and surround himself with individuals who will present the unvarnished truth.”
While the President’s speech focused on the past, according to him, the people are concerned with the present and the future.
He should begin by addressing pressing issues such as the exorbitant cost of governance, measures to tackle corruption,
the high cost of living, and directing resources effectively towards critical areas like health, education, and poverty alleviation, the former Anambra State governor said.
He reiterated that the President should declare a war on insecurity, the economy, poverty, unemployment, and the power sector.
“Persistent issues of corruption and mismanagement of public funds must be addressed decisively,” he said.
“As is done in other nations during such times, regular briefings, whether quarterly or biannually, from the President are essential to clearly communicate the visible and verifiable measures being taken to revive the nation from its current state of hopelessness, restore hope, and rebuild trust in our country,” Obi said.
Obi admonished the President to “reduce the repetition of how dire the situation is; every Nigerian is already aware of the extent of the problems.
“Mr President, you and your team were elected not just to witness the protests but to alleviate the suffering of the people.
“Nigerians do not expect the President to solve the nation’s problems overnight, but we do expect a concerted effort to address the mismanagement of public resources, reduce the high cost of governance, and tackle issues like insecurity, corruption, electricity, agriculture, and productivity to set the country on a path to recovery and growth. By doing so, the President can restore hope and rekindle the people’s faith in our dear country Nigeria,” Obi stated.