By Our Correspondent
Mr Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, says he will not engage in excuses or blame games against predecessors if elected in the 2023 general elections.
Obi gave this assurance when he was featured on the Editors Forum, an initiative of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), on Monday in Lagos.
He said that he had studied the country and understood the yearnings of the people.
He said he would not be a leader that would be giving excuses rather than solve problems.
According to him, leaders are elected to solve problems and not to be looking at the past and blaming predecessors when things go bad.
“Next year’s election will base on character, competence, capacity, and ability or commitment to start doing the right thing. I assure you that I am committed.
“It is going to be difficult but it requires huge mental and physical energy.
“I want Nigerians to hold me responsible, I will be the commander in chief and I will drive the process.
“On security, I am going to deal with it headlong; l will be responsible.
“Let me assure Nigerians that this work, I can do it and I am not going to give excuses.
“I don’t want to go in and start complaining and blaming predecessors because if the past was good you won’t hire me.
“I am not here to look back; I am here to solve problems,” he said.
According to him, the job of a leader is not to give excuses or complain but to find solutions and deal with issues and build a better country.
“You hire me to start telling you a good story and that is what I am promising Nigerians.
“If they hire me, I am going to tell them (Nigerians) a good story and not start reminding them about the past and what someone left undone,” he added.
Obi, who urged members of the NGE to investigate all presidential candidates, promised to lead by example, fight corruption, supervise projects and bring sanity into the system.
He said that the cost of governance in the country was high and unacceptable, pledging to end all rascality, corruption and wastage if elected to put the country on the path of growth and development.
Promising to provide quality leadership, Obi said that as a former governor of Anambra, he toured every local government, slept in all the councils and visited every single secondary school.
“If I give you a job to do, I will follow it up.
“Leadership changes everything, but we must know the driver, be trained and have the competence,” Obi said.
Obi noted that he had studied the nation’s challenges including security, economy, poverty, agriculture, micro and small business, youth and corruption among others.
He also said that he had the political will to bring in an institutional framework to make things work.
Corruption
The presidential hopeful said he doesn’t need to tell Nigerians anything about fighting corruption.
“All they need to do is go to Anambra State and ask if anybody allocates land to me, my wife, children or anybody.
“If they see one, I will stop campaigning”.
“If you see any contractor that says I sat down with him and negotiated what is my own benefit in contracts, I will stop campaigning.
“I am not a saint, I became governor by His Grace but I cannot abuse the grace,” he said.
Stressing that the 2023 general elections should not be about the tribe, Obi urged the NGE to scrutinise all the presidential candidates not based on certificate, religion, eloquence, or ethnicity but character and track records.
“Remember that certificate is not a measure of character and integrity. We are looking for people who will not steal our money.
“So, go and scrutinise all of us.
“We should vote for people based on track record, age and strength because the job requires physical and mental energy,” he said.
In Obi’s entourage was Mr Akin Osundokun, Osuntokun, the South West coordinator of Obi’s campaign, Ms Aisha Yesufu, an Activist and Ms Ndi Kato, Spokesperson of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation.
Do you have a flare for Citizenship Journalism? Share story(ies) of happenings in your area with The NewsZenith on WhatsApp: 08033668669 or thenewszenith@gmail.com
