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By Myke Agunwa
Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi has stated that opening up about the country’s challenges is not demarkerting the country but exposing how the situation can be changed for overall national growth.
Obi, in a post on his verified X handle on Thursday, said his remarks about Nigeria’s economic and political realities are meant to strengthen, not tarnish, the country’s image.
Recall that the former Anambra state governor has come under heavy criticism for exposing the weakness in Nigeria’s political institutions and how the economy has been mismanaged over the years.
They Presidency and other All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains thereafter accused him of speaking about the country in bad light especially when he travels outside the shores of the Nigeria.
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu had, in a statement on Monday, April 28, accused Obi of making “disparaging” comments about Nigeria during his recent appearance at Johns Hopkins University in the United States.
Responding to his critics Obi said, “I tried reminding those who argue that I de-marketed Nigeria by telling the truth about its economic and social status vis-à-vis the rest of the World that truth does not in any way demarket a nation.
“Rather, it refines and strengthens it. But the moment we begin to weaponise the truth for political convenience, we dishonour the legacy of those who came before us. We betray the very essence of their sacrifices, their struggles, their hopes, and their dreams” he said.
Obi who spoke after attending the memorial lecture in honour of elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, alongside former President Goodluck Jonathan and ex-Head of State Yakubu Gowon questioned the silence of the once-vocal critics who had protested fuel and food price hikes under President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, saying the situation has worsened today.
“Where are those who called President Jonathan all sorts of names, “Clueless, corrupt, ineffective and lifeless government”? Where are they now that the Prices of everything have increased tenfold?
“We are also losing innocent lives daily through insecurity, poverty, poor healthcare, and avoidable hardship. This is not the Nigeria our founding heroes envisioned.
“We must not reduce their sacrifices to mere ceremonial tributes. The best way to honour Chief Edwin Clark and others like him is to restore integrity in governance, rebuild trust in our public institutions, and ensure that truth and justice are the foundations of our national journey.
“Nigeria must work for all Nigerians, not just for a privileged few,” he said.