*Societal ills increasing everyday, he stresses
By Myke Uzendu
Former governor of Anambra State and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Vice-Presidential candidate in the 2019 elections, Mr. Peter Obi, has called on Nigerians to take charge of their country already blessed by God but facing several challenges arising from leadership failure over the years.
Obi made the call at Nkpor while addressing the National Directors of Religious Education.
He noted that Nigeria would have been by far better developed but for bad governance and insensitivity of people holding top political offices.
The former “trader” reminded Nigerians that what is left for the country to move forward is for Nigerians to rise against the societal ills eating up the country by voting according to their consciences, avoiding the knack to hero-worship moneybags and to be deep rooted in morality.
He drew an analogy from the Biblical passage of Mark 4: 38, where the disciples were battling with the storm, as Jesus slept peacefully in the boat.
He foretold that the storms of mismanagement and insensitivity raging through the country would subside if Nigerians can rise and wholly commit to the development of the nation.
Obi further identified wide-spread corruption, rising poverty, high unemployment rate, high cost of governance, as man-made problems that need to be solved by us in the country.
He said: “It will take visionary and competent leaders, at all levels of government, to save the nation from further collapse.
“We need prayers, but we all need to work hard towards developing the nation.
“It is on record that Anambra State, under my administration, was the only state that did not borrow a dime, for eight years, yet we left behind savings of N75 billion.
“Educationally, we took Anambra State from 26th position, in WAEC and NECO, to the first position.
“In the health sector, we established many schools of health and nursing sciences and upgraded many hospitals.
“All these were achieved by our human commitment and sacrifices,” he said.
Mr. Obi encouraged Nigerians not to give up on the country, but pay more attention to the leadership recruitment process so that only competent leaders will be elected into power.
He said that if Nigerians realise where we are and become sensitive to their actions and inactions and implant accountability in their affairs, the country will pick up faster than expected.
