He spoke at the Holy Rosary School of Nursing Emekuku in Imo state’s Owerri North Council Area over the weekend during a solidarity visit to support the institution’s plans to convert it into a university.
Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 Presidential candidate, has expressed his dissatisfaction with Nigeria’s government’s failure to invest in the future of its youth.
He spoke at the Holy Rosary School of Nursing Emekuku in Imo state’s Owerri North Council Area over the weekend during a solidarity visit to support the institution’s plans to convert it into a university.
According to Obi, “I can tell you what it takes somebody like me to be in government I can give these people here free education. That is what I am doing now. We need to remove those costs and apply the resources where it makes more impact.
“Our politicians are not living up to expectations, we are not. I am part of them. I can’t come to school like this and the director is telling me he borrows money to run these facilities. I feel pained. That is while I said I will come back in September and I am doing so with my money. We should do more.”
About hunger in Nigeria, he said: “The time has come for us to do the right thing. The leaders need to sacrifice more. We cannot continue like this, especially for the future of these children.”
While commenting on the alleged backwardness in the educational system in Nigeria, he said: “We need to do the right thing until we get to our destination. But we need to be in the right direction. We are heading backwards. We need to go forward. We are not investing in the future. We are not caring. We need to care more.”
On the issue of the government saying that it does not have money especially to pay workers’ salaries, he said: The Conduct of the people who are operating it should show that there is no money. You cannot tell us too fast and you are feasting. If we must fast it must start from you. That is how it does.”
The Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Diocese, His Lordship Lucious Ugorji, who is also the Director of the school said: “I want to say what Mr Peter told me what he does whenever he visits the school of nursing or that is trying to develop a university. I have read the things you have done in the different parts of the country; especially for schools of nursing and the same thing applies in some communities in the North where you are constructing boreholes.
“His coming here today is an opportunity for me to present him as a role model for our young people and also to the political class, with character, capacity and competence. We are happy that he is here. And also to invoke God’s blessings for his intentions for this country.”
The highlight of the ceremony saw Obi’s donated of a cheque for N10 million to the school.
