The Vice Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2019 general election, Peter Obi, has warned that Nigeria can never develop without restructuring.
The guest lecturer at the 4th Adada Lecture organised by the Association of Nsukka Professors, at the Princess Alexandria Auditorium and Unity Hall of the University said that the clamour to change the Presidency without restructuring, amounts to changing the driver of a vehicle without brain box and expect it to move.
In a statement from his media office, the former Anambra state Governor who spoke on ‘Restructuring, Security Challenges and Development’ noted that without restructuring the system fundamentally, the struggle for Presidency in 2023 will be an exercise in futility.
“All over the place people have been urging me to go for President in 2023, we will vote for you, but I say to them, the vehicle called Nigeria, has no brain box but people are talking of changing the driver only”
“What can a driver of a knocked engine or car with a faulty or no brain box do, absolutely nothing until the vehicle goes for complete overhaul.”
“Those clamouring for restructuring are saying fix the car first then look for a driver”
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Obi said that those opposed to fixing the car are exploiting the owner with daily repairs that can’t serve everybody.
Those opposed to restructuring Peter Obi said are ignorant of the benefits therein and would do everything to enable the unworkable status quo to remain.
He listed the numerous gains of a restructured Nigeria to includes paying the lecturers their worth and making the students study in a conducive environment.
“Professors are house helps to politicians, how can such society grow, Professor advising local Government Chairman and running after political thugs when it should be the other way round”
The former Anambra State Governor added that Nigerian students are among the best in the World given the terrible condition of study they operate.
He regretted that Nigeria politicians see thugs who cluster around and praising them as a measure of popularity instead of seeing them as wasted production hands, who should be in factories.
“All these youths who go about shouting and hailing political leaders are supposed to be factory workers, if they were in their firms producing, they won’t have time to come hailing anybody”
Obi then charged the academicians to strive to belong, instead of leaving the political space for those who should not be there in the first place.
The former PDP Vice Presidential Candidate to Atiku Abubakar, said that security is everything that’s why the constitution said its the primary function of government, ” we are here because it’s secure”
On development, obi said that the basis of its measurement is on human capital, because a developed person catalyzes every other forms of development.
The well attended lecture was chaired by a former Federal Permanent Secretary, Chinyeaka Ohaa and attended by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state, Senator Chuka Utazi of Enugu North Senatorial zone and the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Charles Igwe.
Edited by Tunde Orebiyi
