The Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr Peter Obi, has reacted to President Bola Tinubu’s nationwide broadcast to Nigerians on Sunday, describing the address as a disconnection from harsh reality.
LEADERSHIP recalls that President Tinubu had in the address pleaded with the #EndBadGovernance protesters to halt the demonstrations as he had “heard them loud and clear” but was adamant on the issues relating to restoration of fuel subsidy among other demands made by protesters.
Obi in a statement on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday, said he intentionally delayed his reactions to avoid being accused of swaying public opinion against the Tinubu-led government.
“Having led the call for the President to address the nation and respond to the demands of the people, and having listened to the belated speech, I needed to delay my response to see if my understanding of the address aligned with others.
“I hesitated to respond immediately, as I felt it could have been perceived as another attempt by Peter Obi to sway public opinion, especially, since I was initially accused of sponsoring the protest,” he said.
Obi who appreciated the President for addressing Nigerians through the broadcast however noted, that the speech failed to address the pending issues affecting citizens and thus, said it fell short of expectations.
He added that the speech was “disconnected from the harsh economic realities” Nigerians were facing and too focused on the past rather than the present and the future which Nigerians were concerned about.
He said, “However, I must begin by thanking the President for finally addressing the people, albeit belatedly, which might have prevented the unnecessary loss of innocent lives, including those of our security agents.
“While I had hoped that, in consoling the families of those who lost their loved ones in the protest, he would also show some empathy towards those who were injured, arrested, and detained due to the overzealous and unprofessional conduct of some security operatives, this was unfortunately not the case.
“It is the responsibility of the government to identify criminal elements attempting to disrupt the protest through looting and other unlawful behaviors, and to protect those genuinely exercising their democratic rights.”
The former Anambra State Governor added that “Nigeria must embrace all tenets of democracy, including the right to protest, without selective adherence,” stressing, “I also appreciate his condemnation of the ethnic bigotry being propagated by some individuals against other ethnic groups.
“However, I had hoped for more decisive action, such as the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible, to demonstrate that such intolerance will not be tolerated in today’s Nigeria.”
He added, “The President’s address regrettably appeared disconnected from the harsh realities faced by the people and failed to address critical issues that initially triggered the protest.
“It either reflects a lack of awareness among his advisers regarding the scale of anger, hunger, and hardship in the country, or a deliberate choice to disregard it.”
He strongly advised the Tinubu to distance himself from sycophants and surround himself with individuals who will present the unvarnished truth.
Obi noted that while the President cannot solve all of Nigeria’s problems at once, he is expected to demonstrate visible commitment towards addressing the mismanagement of public resources, reduce the high cost of governance, and tackle issues like insecurity, corruption, electricity, and agriculture, which would, in turn, ignite the hope of the people.
“While the President’s speech focused on the past, the people are concerned with the present and the future. He should begin by addressing pressing issues such as the exorbitant cost of governance, measures to tackle corruption, the high cost of living, and directing resources effectively towards critical areas like health, education, and poverty alleviation. I respectfully reiterate that the President should declare a war on insecurity, the economy, poverty, unemployment, and the power sector.
“Persistent issues of corruption and mismanagement of public funds must be addressed decisively. As is done in other nations during such times, regular briefings, whether quarterly or biannually, from the President are essential to clearly communicate the visible and verifiable measures being taken to revive the nation from its current state of hopelessness, restore hope, and rebuild trust in our country.
“I also humbly request that the President reduce the repetition of how dire the situation is; every Nigerian is already aware of the extent of the problems. Mr President, you and your team were elected not just to witness the protests but to alleviate the suffering of the people.”
The opposition politician reminded Tinubu that “Nigerians do not expect the President to solve the nation’s problems overnight, but we do expect a concerted effort to address the mismanagement of public resources, reduce the high cost of governance, and tackle issues like insecurity, corruption, electricity, agriculture, and productivity to set the country on a path to recovery and growth.”
By doing so, Obi noted, the President can restore hope and rekindle the people’s faith in country – Nigeria.
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