Politics
By Anthony Isibor
THE pioneer Director-General of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, NESG, Prof. Anya O. Anya, has said that Peter Obi, the Labour Party Presidential candidate, possesses the values required to conceivably rebuild Nigeria.
The elder statesman told Realnews Magazine in an exclusive interview in Lagos that Obi has over the years built a proven track record of honesty and transparency.
“We know how the Labour Party presidential candidate made his money, we know how he manages his money and we know how he applied those principles in managing the resources of Anambra State when he was governor, and throughout the 8-year period that he was there, he didn’t have the noise associated with the movement of men of power.
“It is already obvious that the greater majority of the people in Nigeria are not only suffering, but have decided that they have suffered enough, and therefore a change is necessary and Peter Obi has the capacity to lead that change.
“Nigerians need a leader that they can trust all the way.
“You see, trust is so important in leadership that you will be surprised if the right kind of person comes, and there is trust, you will be surprised at the kind of sacrifices that people will make, and out of those sacrifices, a new mode will arise; out of that, brilliant young people who have been thinking about Nigeria will emerge and will be prepared to sacrifice themselves to do the right things for Nigeria,” he said.
Narrating his past encounters with the LP candidate, Prof. Anya said, “I met him at the airport many times in those 8 years, he will just have his bag, and there are just two people following him. And during that period, he was sitting, not in the first class, not in the business class, but in the economy because he believed in not spending Anambra people’s money carelessly.
“These are the values we require. He may not be a perfect person, but at least, he has indicated those values that could conceivably rebuild Nigeria.”
Prof. Anya advised Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, to step down from the race in the interest of national unity, stating that comparing two other prominent candidates contesting for the post of president is like comparing night and day.
“You see, if you look at those other two and then at this one, it is like night and day. As said in a lecture I gave in Enugu, I had, infect, implored Atiku to give up his ambition because the problems of Nigeria are more complicated now and needed younger people who can call on his experience, and I said he has an advantage because he had worked with Obi.
“That if he gave his support, and Obi emerged, not only would he contribute to the final end to the civil war, but more importantly, he would have addressed the issue of fairness and justice in our political system, and he would have become a Nigerian hero.
“There comes a time in the history of a nation, the history of an individual, when we will have to look at the broad issues and decide what is best.
“At times, the time you appear to have lost by not doing what people expected you to do, is at times the time you win. Because it’s that time that you underline the guiding principles of the society and you may become a hero because of that.
“So they had the opportunity to do the right thing by history, they have not done so. So, God will at the end of the day hear the cries of his people.
“However, whatever may be the result that is announced later this month or next month, Nigeria cannot be the same. You cannot run Nigeria any longer the way it used to be run,” he added.
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Tags: Anthony Isibor Labour Party Nigerian Economic Summit Group Peter Obi Prof. Anya O. Anya Realnews magazine
