The immediate past Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, and presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, has explained why he is “seriously running” to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2023 presidential elections.
Onu also downplayed suggestions that he might be the preferred candidate of the APC, saying although it’s difficult for any leader not to have an idea of who would succeed him, the decision to run is his, and like the ambition of other aspirants, it comes with some risks.
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Speaking with newsmen, Onu said his seriousness spurred him to resign as a minister to pursue his ambition as he did in 1999 when he picked the ticket of the All Peoples Party (APP) but conceded to the joint ticket of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and APP in favour of Chief Olu Falae, a decision he said he took in the national interest, peace, stability, unity, and democracy in the country.
Onu, who described the current myriad of problems confronting Nigeria as “challenges of nation-building”, said he has the capacity to transform the country through science, technology, and a knowledge economy, and restore the dignity of Nigeria and the black race.
He said his work in the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation within a short while instilled discipline, punctuality, and professionalism in the ministry, making it to win the Servicom Best Performing Ministry award in 2019.
On the promise to create jobs through pencil production, Onu explained that he made the statement after a visit to PRODA where he learnt that Nigeria was still importing pencils, when it can be made at home with the 82 raw materials sourced locally to create jobs, and transfer technology to others areas.
“I was very happy that shortly after I made that comment, the Akwa Ibom State Government started pencil production; quite a few companies also started pencil production in Lagos using used newspapers instead of woods,” he said.
On the challenges of corruption and insecurity in Nigeria, Onu said he plans to deploy technology and intelligence to the problem while addressing job creation, poverty, education, and skills acquisition.
He said while fairness would isolate real criminals from agitators, the law enforcement in Nigeria must be made to track and apprehend offenders no matter how long it takes as it is done in other countries.
“There have been jail breaks and many inmates escaped from the correctional centres; every effort must be made to bring them back,” he added
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