Obi Makes Case For Provision Of Water, Education For Poor Rural Folks

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s Presidential Candidate for the 2023 General Election, has challenged wealthy Nigerians to do more to help the poor in society by providing water and education.

Obi stated at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday that 70% of Nigeria’s wealth is in the hands of approximately 1% of Nigerians, and that if 1% of the population, or approximately 200,000 wealthy Nigerians, can deploy their resources for the basic needs of the poor in our midst, the situation will be less deplorable.

He also urged governments at all levels to ensure that resource deployment is directed towards improving the living conditions of the poor in our midst and lifting them out of poverty.

The LP standard bearer stated that his plea in these two areas, water and education, stems from his discoveries during a humanitarian tour of some areas of the country, which exposed him to the extent of poverty and abandonment of the people.

Obi, who announced the completion of the construction of ten boreholes in some Northern states for short-term water supply for the poor, stated that if 200,000 wealthy Nigerians join him in doing the same in their preferred area, it would go a long way towards meeting the poor’s water needs.

Similarly, in the area of education, Obi stated that the potential he discovered while mingling with almajiris in Quranic schools in the North moved him to tears because the children are brilliant but require adequate support to grow into catalysts of development.

“I am running a campaign to encourage the wealthy in our community to do more to provide water to our rural poor and to help pull out-of-school children off the streets for proper development.

“This is the time to reduce waste; our larger population cannot be suffering from a lack of basic needs such as water while we live lavishly in their midst; our crisis of insecurity and other challenges stem from poverty, and it is our responsibility to lift people out of poverty through good education.

In response to his criticism of coastal roads, the LP flag bearer stated that there would be no road under his presidency until all existing roadworks in the country were completed.

” I can not start a new road when we can not connect our states and cities across all geopolitical zones due to bad roads. I will first improve the roads and the economy.

In 2027, Obi stated that his current concern is how to see Nigeria work rather than the election: “Only God can tell who can run for election in the future; my interest now is the poor and how to see Nigeria work.”

Obi stated that the crisis in his party, the Labour Party, would be resolved amicably because it is not fundamental and cannot be handled. “What is happening in the Labour Party is child’s play compared to what is going on in the APC and PDP.”

In response to a question about whether he built any new schools while governor of Anambra state, the former governor stated that those who made that claim did not read his manifesto. He stated that when he arrived in Anambra state, education was in shambles, schools were closed, and the state was ranked 26th in the country; however, by the time he left, Anambra was ranked first in the state.
” I improved the quality of people’s physical and mental well-being, schools provided the basic necessities, and people shone like stars, and that was my manifesto. Building new schools when the old ones are defunct is similar to building coastal lines when internal roads are impassable.