By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
Former Spokesperson to 2019 Presidential Candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, Tim Ogwuru has advised any politician that intends to becoming a billionaire or live a flamboyant life style to quit politics and either join the Nollywood or create a business.
The Labour Party Chieftain said that politics is all about service, accountability and holding the resources of the electorate in trust. He said that good governance and accountability and putting up measures that will serve as deterrent to financial malfeasance is the new dimension of politics that the Presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi is emphasizing which, according to him is causing ripples among the political class but on the other hand attracting the attention of the electorate especially the youths and Nigerians in diaspora.
Ogwuru in a telephone conversation with our Correspondent on Sunday, stressed that 2023 is another opportunity for Nigerians to take an uncommon decision by massively voting for Peter Obi who is an apostle of good governance assuring that he will be answerable to the people, manage public resources prudently and ensure that there is deterrent against abuse of public office.
Ogwuru said that Obi is opposed to politicians diverting public funds for personal use going. He said that politics is a serious business and not an avenue to amass wealth.
“He is saying that if you want to be a show man, you go into Nollywood or Hollywood. If you want to be a billionaire like Dangote, you go into business but politics is not meant for you to be a billionaire. It is meant for you to serve and create a difference. If you want to remain where you are, then you don’t come into public office at all. If you venture into public office, people expect you to serve them because you are the custodian of their resources. So you have to respect them and respect their resources”.
Throwing more light on why the infrastructural development has eluded the country despite the whooping budgetary provisions he continued,
“The only difference between us and the West is that they have deterrent in place. When you do something in public office that you were not supposed to do, or you were reckless or irresponsible with public fund, you know that you will give account of it and when you don’t, you will go in for it. In Africa, there is no deterrent and we cannot continue this way and that is what Peter Obi is saying. There must be a way of doing things better. He is saying nothing majorly new and Nigerians are understanding it and buying into it. Nigerian are listening and they want to hear more from him.
“Obi is making his case and he is making that case eloquently and at the end of the day, Nigerians are the once that will take the ultimate decision. That’s what the upcoming election is all about”.
Ogwuru said that the message of Obi is all about good governance and accountability, adding that the message is already sinking with the youths.
“What Peter Obi is talking about is good governance in public office. What we are suffering from today is largely due to bad governance which has lingered over the years. He is telling Nigerians that governance is a serious business. To be called to serve is a priviledge, public trust, to be a custodian of public resources and not to be above board, not to be using public funds for your own personal use. It is never done. In any case, in any situation, public fund is never touched for personal use.
“Obi is only saying that public office is all about being accountable to the people. Anything that goes wrong when you are serving the people, you are responsible, the bucks stops with you, no excuses.
“The message of Peter Obi is that you are responsible for that office you are occupying because you are occupying that office for the people. You are holding it in trust for the people and you have to manage it with utmost responsibility”.
The Labour party Chieftain said that a political office holder can deliver good governance and make a strong statement in terms of good governance and accountability in one tenure.
“If you cannot do anything in office for eight years, if they give you 20 years, you will not do better. If you have been in public office for your years and nothing changes, you can be there for another 20 years, nothing will change”.
Recall that Obi left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) few days to the Presidential Primary election and alleged that Presidential candidates commercialized the process and spent whooping sums of money to buy delegates.
