We’re all prisoners in Nigeria – says LP presidential candidate Peter Obi, calls for pulling Nigerians out of poverty

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By Alphonsus Nweze, Onitsha

The presidential candidate of Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has said that virtually all Nigerians are prisoners in their own country.

The former Governor of Anambra State spoke on Easter Day at Ontisha Correctional Centre in Anambra State when the Archbishop of Onitsha Archdiocese, Most Rev. Dr. Hillary Okeke , held his traditional Easter celebration with the inmates.

He noted that Nigeria is currently undergoing serious challenges which needed prayer and determination to overcome

He likened Nigeria to a vehicle being driven by a people who have passed their destination, stressing that what we need now were people who understand the problem and the solution to apply little things in governance to get the country back.

“It is not supply driven, it is demand driven. I tell my colleagues, politicians to go round and listen to the people to know their problem. You need to get to the root of what is the problem. We need to apply resources where they are needed”, he said.

Continuing Obi said “They are needed in education, health, in pulling people out of poverty. Unless you pull people out of poverty the problem must continue but God has been gracious to us. We have no reason to be hungry in Nigeria. We are the most blessed people in the world because we have the highest uncultivated land in the world. What is the difficulty in cultivating it? We have not applied our resources properly.”
He advised the inmates to use their time of staying in the Correctional Centre to reform themselves, saying that Mary Magdalene and Paul in the Bible were clear testimony that men can change from bad to good.

So, he said, they can become better members of the society after their stint in the Correctional Centre.

Obi said he would not quarrel or harangue those elected legislators on the platform of Labour Party who are not doing well, rather he would continue to preach to them to change because the person you thought was bad yesterday can be good tomorrow.

He said that life is about building people for change, stressing that even Jesus whom christians were celebrating his resurrection was never disappointed with the misbehaviours of his disciples.

He said: “For me those who are doing good like Governor Otti of Abia State, I praise them, those who are doing bad if there is any, I will continue to pray for them.We need piece in the country.Those who are doing wrong, whether in my party or in any other party, we want them to change to have peace. We need a good country where everything will work for everybody.”