Opinion: Why You Should Vote Peter Obi in 2023. (AND FOUR OTHER THINGS)
Sometimes last week, a student of the Moshood Abiola Polythecnic, Abeokuta was abducted, raped and killed by unknown gunmen for no substantial reason. I learnt later that the deceased was the current "Miss Mapoly". May her soul rest in Peace.
I noticed something. Whenever we talk about bad leadership and how poor and wretched Nigeria has become, the need for new leadership and air in our government, I noticed that members of the ruling All Progressives Congress and the People's Democratic Party automatically think we are referring to them. I've been very conversant with Twitter and a tweep @firstladyship who is a big supporter of the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party and former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi. I read a tweet of hers in which she stated the need for a new set of hands on government and the need to take back Nigeria. When I went through the comments, I discovered that there were insults and jokes(particularly for Peter Obi's mockery) sent in my a lot of PDP and APC supporters. Why? Because they feel attacked and threatened by the fact that the youths in Nigeria today are wide awake and ready to do what is right in 2023.
Well, I'm not here to throw shades. I'm here to tell and give you reasons why you should vote Peter Obi at next year's General Elections.
Anambra in Obi's time was the first State to commence Sub-Sovereign Wealth savings, the first of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa. At a time many other Governors were leaving huge debts, Peter Obi left the equivalent of $500 million Dollars in investment as well as local and foreign currency, including $156 million in Dollar-denominated bonds. For the first time in the history of Anambra State, Ambassadors and High Commissioners of notable countries such as United States, Britain, Russia, European Union, South Africa, Belgium, Israel, the Netherlands, Canada, among others, visited the State to witness solid and massive achievements. Before Peter Obi's tenure, Anambra was practically a pariah state blacklisted by the Diplomatic Corps and international development partners. These development partners such as UNDP, UNICEF, the World Bank, DFID, the European Union and others which hitherto were not in Anambra State started working with the State as a result of Peter Obi's influence.
Anambra was consistently adjudged one of the best states in development partnership and commitment to reforms for good governance under Peter Obi. Peter Obi was recognised as Best Governor by the Millennium Development Goals Office (OSSAP-MDGs) and the UNDP in the implementation of their programmes in Nigeria. Also, The Nigerian Debt Management Office (DMO) rated Anambra as the least indebted state in Nigeria during Obi's tenure. In spite of visible and measurable achievements recorded in various sectors, Anambra under Obi did not borrow or raise bonds for her various projects.
Furthermore, The Senate rated Anambra State as the most financially stable state in the country under Peter Obi. Anambra's ground-breaking return of schools to their original owners – Voluntary Agencies (Churches) on 1st January 2009, and subsequent partnership with the Agencies in Education, saw the State move from 24th position out of 36 States to Number One in National Examination Council (NECO) and West African Examination Council (WAEC) examinations for three consecutive years. This made the World Bank to commission a study, led by the renowned Prof. Paul Collier of Oxford University, on this revolutionary partnership and phenomenal achievement.
In addition, His Government also built the Joseph Nwilo Heart Centre in St. Joseph, Adazi-Nnukwu, where heart operations are now being performed. Obi's Anambra Government won the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation award of a million dollars as the best-performing state in immunisation in the South-East. With complementary funding from the Government, Anambra used the money to build 10 Maternal and Child Care Centres across the State, particularly in rural communities, in partnership with the Churches. Anambra was the first to procure and distribute more than 30,000 computers to secondary schools, including 22,500 from HP. The Managing Director for Personal Systems Group HP Inc, Mr. Fabrice Campoy described the deployment as the biggest of such projects in the Middle-East and Africa.
In addition, Anambra State Government provided Microsoft Academies to more than 500 secondary schools, in which the Head of Microsoft in Nigeria Mr. Ken Span described the development as the biggest of such deployment in Africa so far.
The State provided Internet access to more than 500 secondary schools, which the CEO of Galaxy Backbone Mr. Gerald Ilukwe characterized as incomparable to any in the country as at that time. Obi's Government was the first to do Poverty Mapping in Nigeria, as a guide for the effective implementation of poverty-alleviation strategies.
As I conclude, we need nobody to tell us what to do. If we think deeply, we know what to do. We know where to go. We know the competent candidate and we should vote the competent candidate. All of these aren't even Obi's total achievements. They're just a part of a long list. 2023 is almost here. Vote Competence, Vote Peter Obi!
AND FOUR OTHER THINGS.
FG INAGURATES PANEL TO REVIEW IPPIS.
The Federal Government has inaugurated a Presidential Steering Committee to review Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System(IPPIS), the Treasury Single Account(TSA) and Government Integrated Financial Management System(GIFMIS) over irregularities.
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, who is also the chairman of committee inaugurated it on Friday in Abuja. Pantami said that the committee would be supervised by the ministry and other relevant government institutions. He also said that the systems have technical challenges which needed to be corrected.
To me, Federal Government will rather reform IPPIS than accept UTAS.
RONALDO ARGUES WITH TEN HAAG, INSISTS ON LEAVING UNITED.
Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo is believed to be arguing a lot with new manager Erik ten Hag in training, according to The Athletic.
The 37-year-old has made it clear that he wants to leave this summer so he can play in the UEFA Champions League. Ronaldo has however received no significant interest from any top club and is still with Manchester United. He started in Saturday’s 4-0 humiliation at Brentford but cut a dejected and frustrated figure throughout, while he refused assistant coach Steve McClaren’s request to acknowledge United’s away fans after the game.
Personally, I feel Ronaldo should stay and help the team. He's an example to young players in the squad. At the moment there's nothing he can do. He has to stay. All the best anyways.
ALLOW OBIDIENTS TO HOLD THIER MARCH IN PEACE, ADEYANJU TELLS EL-RUFAI.
Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has been asked to warn his supporters against attacking supporters of Peter Obi, Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate. Deji Adeyanju, a socio-political activist said El-Rufai should tell his supporters to allow Obi’s followers hold their rally “in peace.”
El-Rufai mocked Obi’s supporters over their plans to hold a “100 million-man march” for him in the state. There was a march for the Labour Party presidential candidate in Nasarawa State as well as Cross River State. El-Rufai however said Obi’s supporters may not be able to gather 200 people in the streets of Kaduna for the march.
The governor said they can only get the figure they are projecting by “importing” people to the state.
Responding, Adeyanju, in a tweet wrote: “Dear El-Rufai, please, warn your supporters in Kaduna who might see your tweet of mockery against the Obidients and become tempted to attack them not to do so. Let them hold their 100million man march in peace. Thanks!” Well he eho laughs last, laughs best. So okay!
BEG FG, ASUU TELLS PARENTS.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities has said that the parents of Nigerian students should beg the Federal Government to fulfil the promises it had with the Union so as to put an end to the ongoing six-month long strike.
ASUU said that the Federal Government is their employer, not parents so they cannot beg parents, but urge parents to beg the Federal Government. This is coming after the Minister of State Labour, Festus Keyamo, SAN, urged parents to beg the ASUU as he claimed the Federal Government has tried it's best in resolving the strike.
