Former Anambra State Governor and Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has described Nigeria as poverty capital of the world, with the hungriest and most insecure people on earth.
Obi has, in recent time, been consistently speaking out against the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, faulting its policies and focus especially amid economic crisis hitting the country.
In a post on his X handle (formerly known as Twitter), Peter Obi described it as disheartening how those in authority dismiss the country’s challenges by saying “we are not the only ones struggling with poverty and hunger.”
He said, “It is disheartening to hear those in charge, who were hired to address our problems, make statements like ‘we are not the only ones struggling with poverty and hunger’.
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“We are the poverty capital of the world, among the most insecure people on earth, among the hungriest, have poor education quality and the highest number of out-of-school children, high infant mortality, corruption, unemployment, the highest income gap between the poor and the rich, high corruption perception index, infrastructure and healthcare challenges, and more.”
Obi, however, urged leaders to come up with concrete solutions and clear vision to address the country’s challenges, maintaining that mere comparisons of challenges with other countries would not solve the problems.
“Instead of merely acknowledging that other countries face similar challenges, we need to hear a thorough plan of action to tackle our unique struggles. We require concrete solutions and a clear vision to address these issues, not comparisons that downplay our circumstances.
“I urge those in leadership positions to offer tangible solutions, not mere reminders that others face similar challenges. We need a comprehensive approach to tackle our specific challenges, not marginalizations that dismiss our experiences.”