The Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has urged the federal government to prioritize poverty alleviation as a means of addressing rising criminality in the country.
Obi made this call during a visit to Bauchi on Thursday, where he met with Governor Bala Mohammed.
The visit focused on discussing the state of affairs in the country, particularly the North, and engaging in consultations with Mohammed, who is the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum.
Obi stressed that Nigeria could achieve greater prosperity through agriculture rather than relying solely on oil revenues. Reflecting on his recent visit to Indonesia, he noted, “I just came back from a visit to Indonesia, a country with the highest number of Muslims in the world, and I observed that all the lands were cultivated. So why don’t we here in Nigeria do the same thing?” He emphasized the need for investment in key sectors such as agriculture, education, and health, which he believes could lift people out of poverty and reduce criminal behavior.
“We need to invest in these critical areas to pull people out of poverty, so that we can reduce criminality,” Obi explained. “We need to invest in these areas so that our children will not continue going into drugs. We need to care about their education and health, but we are not discussing all these in the political space now. Rather, what we are discussing are mundane things such as budget padding, sexual harassment.”
Obi also criticized the current political discourse, suggesting that more attention should be paid to issues such as hunger, poverty, education, and health, which should be the priorities of the political class. “We are not in Nollywood where they do entertainment for business. Unfortunately, those in politics have now taken to entertainment and engage in things that do not profit the people,” he stated. “It is time to preoccupy our time with the discussion of the people, and that is what I came to talk about, and it is an ongoing discussion and collaboration.”
In response, Governor Bala Mohammed expressed his readiness to collaborate with Obi to bring about good governance and restore the country’s lost glory. Mohammed criticized the current leadership, describing some political leaders as “mediocres” who are damaging the nation’s future. “The time has come that we must step out to do things with focus and sincerity,” he said, emphasizing that their unity would send a powerful message.
Governor Mohammed also emphasized that their collaboration transcends party, region, and religion, with both leaders committed to service to the people. “We are coming together to work together, irrespective of party, region, and religion as politicians, because we believe in one thing: service to the people,” he stated. He added that their partnership would use knowledge, strategy, and tact to overcome challenges and provide a framework for good governance in Nigeria.
“Our plan is to transcend the limitations imposed by those who think they can scuttle democracy through power collusion, judicial interference, or other means,” he concluded. “We will transcend all that, and that is the plan.”