NDC Presidential candidate, Peter Obi
Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has called on Nigerians to use the country’s 66th Independence Anniversary as a time for honest reflection, saying the nation is facing worsening poverty, hunger, insecurity and unemployment despite its enormous human and natural resources.
In his Independence Day message released on Thursday through his official X account, Obi said the anniversary should be more than a celebration. According to him, it should be an opportunity to assess the country’s progress and chart a better future.
“Today we mark the sixty-sixth anniversary of our independence. It ought to be a day of celebration and thanksgiving to God Almighty for the gift of life and for the immense blessings He has bestowed on our nation,” Obi said.
He urged Nigerians to remember the sacrifices of the country’s founding fathers and other citizens who contributed to Nigeria’s growth over the years.
According to him, every serious nation must constantly ask three important questions: “Where are we today? Where do we want to be? How do we get from where we are to where we want to be?”
Obi said those questions have become more important because, in his view, the country is facing serious social and economic challenges.
He listed rising poverty, the large number of out-of-school children, insecurity, terrorism, kidnapping, hunger, youth unemployment, drug abuse, low life expectancy and high maternal and infant mortality as some of the major issues confronting Nigeria.
According to him, more than 140 million Nigerians are living in poverty, over 18 million children are out of school, while millions continue to struggle with food insecurity.
He also lamented the continued loss of lives to insecurity, saying many Nigerians are unable to live and work safely in their communities.
“This reality demands serious, sober and honest reflection,” Obi said.
Quoting the Greek philosopher Socrates, he added: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” He argued that the same principle applies to nations, saying Nigeria must carefully examine its present condition if it hopes to build a better future.
Obi rejected the suggestion that Nigeria’s problems are caused by fate.
“The answer cannot be that Nigeria is cursed. We are a nation immensely endowed and blessed. Our greatest problem is not a lack of resources; it is the failure to convert our enormous resources into human development, productivity, security and shared prosperity,” he said.
The former Anambra State governor also revealed that he and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) leader, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, recently visited Sokoto State, where they met with residents and discussed insecurity, poverty, youth unemployment, drug abuse and the growing number of out-of-school children.
According to Obi, they later visited the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp at Ramin Kura in Sokoto metropolis, where they found thousands of women and children living in difficult conditions.
He said many of the displaced children were not in school, while mothers and children had limited access to healthcare and other basic services.
“These are Nigerians who should be living in their communities, going to school, farming their land, conducting their businesses and contributing to the economy. Instead, they live as displaced persons in their own country,” Obi said.
