Peter Obi, presidential hopeful of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP), says Nigeria needs to invest in its massive landmass to grow the
economy.
Obi, an industrialist, said this in Calabar when he visited
delegates of the PDP ahead of the forthcoming party’s presidential primary
slated for May 28 and May 29, according to NAN.
The former Anambra governor said it was important for
everybody to be productive if the nation must survive adding that other nations
in the world were busy producing while Nigeria was busy sharing and consuming.
He said he would replace sharing formula of monthly
allocation with a production formula if elected.
“Nigeria is a nation of over 200 million people with about
100 million living in poverty, over 18 million out of school children out of
which about 10 million are girls,” Obi said.
“We have 35 per cent unemployment rate and if we add
underemployment it will rise to over 50 per cent, many of which are youths in
their productive age, so we cannot be celebrating.”
Obi said there was nothing wrong in borrowing as a nation as
the largest economies in the world were also in debt but the problem of Nigeria
was that it was borrowing for consumption.
“The consequence of borrowing for consumption today is that
Nigeria is spending over 90 per cent of its revenue to service debts without
much production to show for it,” he added.
“Exporting crude oil has not saved Venezuela or any country,
we need to invest in our massive landmass and grow our economy like other
nations such as Singapore, Vietnam and even Morocco have done with tourism.”
He appealed to the party delegates to place less emphasis on
sharing money as many politicians would come to share money but when it was
time to vote they should consider the future of their children.
Responding, Venatius Ikem, chairman of PDP in Cross River,
said although things had gone bad for the nation, we could start repairing for
the future by voting right.
According to him, Obi is the kind of president Nigeria needs
because after listening to him every right-thinking person should have a sober
reflection on the way forward for Nigeria.
“I believe if you become president, Nigeria will have a
turnaround,” he said.
“I however do not expect Nigerians to just wish but express
their wishes through their support for Peter Obi.”
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