Former governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has described the alleged rape and sexual assault at the just concluded Ozoro Festival in Delta State as a profound misplacement of values.
Mr. Obi in a post on his official X handle on Saturday, noted that rather than emulating nations that are investing in their women for productivity, Nigeria whose women constitute more than 50% of the population is drifting toward trivialities such as the Ozoro festival, “a development that reflects poorly on our national priorities.”
According to reports, girls and women were allegedly raped, molested and sexually assaulted by youths in Ozoro kingdom during the festival.
He mentioned that In Indonesia, for instance, women own over 50% of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), which provide about 98% of jobs.
Similarly, he said in Bangladesh, women make up about 60% of the workforce in the garment industry, the country’s largest export sector, generating about $50 billion—far more than what Nigeria earns annually from crude oil exports.
“Instead of ensuring that our women—the vital segment of our population—are educated and meaningfully integrated into leadership and management structures, where they have consistently proven to contribute significantly to development, we fall short,” he noted.
Obi said greater effort should be directed toward meaningful development, including policies and initiatives that empower women and integrate them into the economic mainstream.
“If we redirect our priorities, invest in our people, and harness the potential of our women in critical sectors, we can rebuild our nation on a foundation of productivity and inclusion—transforming from a now disgraced country into one of pride,” he concluded.
