The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi has asserted that the independence the country should celebrate is the one that is truly independent from the state capture that has dragged it into failure and kept its people in suffering.
Mr. Obi who stated this in a post on his X handle on Tuesday, on the occasion of the nation’s Independence Day celebration, tasked the leaders to build a nation that is free from tribal disunity and religious disharmony.
“We must build a New and Productive Nigeria that prioritizes the well-being of its citizens. That is the independence we should celebrate as a nation whose greatness remains possible”, he said.
While stating that the Independence Day is a day to appreciate God for abundantly blessing the nation with natural, human, and material resources to build a great nation, Obi said, the day should also be a day of sober reflection for every Nigerian, especially, the leaders, whose actions and inactions have contributed to the stagnation and glaring failures the country are witnessing at present.
“As the saying goes, an unexamined life is not worth living. We must, therefore, examine ourselves in the light of our nation’s journey over the past six decades.
“Have we lifted our people out of poverty, or have we driven more into it? Have we made education accessible to every Nigerian child, or have we allowed an army of over 18 million out-of-school children to roam the streets? Have we built a productive economy, or have we created a nation with the worst debt profile in its history?”, he questioned.
The former governor of Anambra State posited that by every measure of development, from the critical areas to the smallest aspects, the country is underperforming.
“We rank poorly in security and peacefulness, making us one of the most insecure nations globally. We are also ranked among the most corrupt countries, and we are noted for our disregard for the rule of law.
“Our nation continues its dangerous dance on the edge of a precipice. When we compare ourselves to countries that gained independence around the same time—before or after us—Nigeria stands out as a nation in decline, urgently in need of rescue from further decay.
“On this day, therefore, we must make a solemn commitment to build a nation that is truly independent from the state capture that has dragged it into failure and kept its people in suffering”, he said.
