I am Preoccupied with the Thought of a Better Nigeria, not Winning Political Elections-Obi

The former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, Friday, said he longs to see a Nigerian society where all the sectors of the economy are functioning correctly to emancipate the people from the shackles of underdevelopment and poverty, which has led most Nigerians to their early graves.

He stated this during the 80th birthday celebration of Prof. Uzodinma Nwala, the father of African Philosophy, at the Princess Alexandra Auditorium, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN on Friday.

Obi noted that he is preoccupied with the thought of a better Nigeria and not winning political elections in 2023.

“Nigerians are always preoccupied with elections. I am not that type of politician. Politics, for me, is not about winning elections and being in office. For me, it is about building a better society. We are in a society where people don’t know where the next meal will come from, but we are not discussing that. We are in a society today where poor businesses cannot get diesel to do their business. Unfortunately, nobody is discussing that. We are in a society where our universities have been shut down for months, and nobody is discussing that. These are the things I want to discuss, not the 2023 elections.

“Elections can come when we have dealt with the bewildering issues. I want to see our universities functional and our children back to classrooms. I want to see food on the tables of poor people in the villages. I want to see a steady power supply so that our businesses can thrive,” he said.

The former governor who spoke further said it is worthy of celebrating and emulating Prof. Nwala’s scholarly prowess to position the country on the path of a knowledge-based economy for rapid development.

“Prof. Nwala remains one of those scholars that should be celebrated and emulated in Nigeria. Unfortunately, we live in a country where people don’t celebrate knowledge, ideas, scholarship. This is the country’s bane cause the world is driven by knowledge. We are in a knowledge economy and development. Nigeria does not appreciate ability; that is not investing in education. That’s why we are not doing well, Obi lamented.