•Peter Obi
It is alarming that we now live in a country of titles and honours without any passion for the people’s plight. While the Presidency basks in the euphoria of titles, St.Lucia, our people are being killed at home.
A nation where children cannot go to school because some of the teachers have not been paid for almost three years, similar to what I complained about lecturers a few weeks ago.
This is not a functioning nation.
When I said that the president embarking on an 8-day state visit to St. Lucia at this critical time was inappropriate and unacceptable, it was not a lack of respect for the country of St.Lucia; rather, it is about the timing and duration for a president whose nation is in turmoil. Timing is everything, and right now, at this time, Nigeria is bleeding.
But the handlers of the president defended the trip, citing cultural ties and economic gains and said he would also proceed from there to the BRICS summit, and this is the reason for the 8-day trip. But at this critical time when our people die daily and our schools and hospitals are not functioning, we should focus on fixing our country.
Having been in St. Lucia for the past 4 days, we have not seen any agreement being entered or signed that would contribute to Nigeria’s development but rather we are watching Mr. President collect a personal honour and title in St. Lucia, because they know we are a country of titles and honour and crave accolades instead of actual development.
Just today, as the president received titles in St. Lucia, at least 37 people were killed in Yobe State, in a Boko Haram attack, and currently, today, protesters in Kwara State have been protesting unemployment, banditry and high insecurity in the state.
Since the president left for his trip to St. Lucia, a nation 1/6th of Lagos State in size and 1% of Lagos population of 18 milliom, several Nigerians have lost their lives to insecurity and one form of banditry to another, nothing has been done for the schools and striking teachers.
Today alone several teachers are protesting in Abuja, our schoolchildren are still out of classrooms, teachers are unpaid and are currently protesting even while the president was receiving a title, families are fleeing their homes, and people are living in fear. During the period the president has travelled, 200 Nigerians have died in various crisis-related incidents across the country. Russia, a country at war, has not lost as many innocent civilians as Nigeria, which is not officially at war.
Other than Katsina where Mr. President went to attend a wedding, he has never spent a night or slept in any Nigerian state other than his home in Lagos for an official tour and even have never visited some of the most troubled states like Niger State, Taraba or Plateau to spend even a single day with the people, yet he is spending eight days in a Caribbean Island.
A nation in pain cannot afford a leadership in denial. At a time when blood is being spilt on our soil, when children are orphaned and communities erased overnight, with families separated at IDPs, our children are not in school, and teachers are not paid and basic hospitals are not functional, our leadership must be present.
For those mentioning the upcoming BRICS summit to justify the trip, note that the summit is for the 6th and 7th, and no president or prime minister from the initials BRICS state and new members have separated from their countries for the summit. In fact, China and Russia, two of its most powerful members, will not be attending.
China said they have to attend other pressing issues and so mentioned scheduling conflicts and Russia supposedly because of the war which has prevented the president from travelling in recent times
India Premier Minister who is yet to leave its country, will, apart from attending BRICS, be doing a 5-nation tour all within the same 8 days.
*Peter Obi is a former governor of Anambra State and the Labour Party candidate in the 2023 presidential election
