Leaders must use public money for public good – Obi at Otti Scholarship Awards

The disturbing echoes of the de-accreditation of Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH) and Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, resounded Saturday inside the hallowed auditorium of Mater Dei Catholic Church, Umuahia, capital of Abia State.

The occasion was the presentation of this year’s Alex Otti Foundation (AOF) Scholarship Awards to 26 lucky recipients, and no less a personality than the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, the Special Guest of Honour, brought the matter to the fore.

“People are being owed their salaries and pensions, yet those owing them are living like stars. It’s unfair,” Obi lamented to the hearing of the massive crowd that had gathered inside the huge auditorium for a thanksgiving service, preceding the AOF awards ceremony.

The National Universities Commission (NUC) and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), both regulators for university and polytechnic education in Nigeria, respectively, had within a space of two months (May and July) withdrawn accreditations for the two tertiary institutions for the same reasons.

While the NUC withdrew accreditation for the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery at ABSUTH over the near-state of inactivity of its teaching hospital, as a result of deplorable state and poor welfare condition of workers, the NBTE withdrew accreditation for Abia Poly over non-payment of 30 months salary arrears of the institution’s workforce, including lecturers.

READ: Obi storms Abia for Alex Otti Foundation scholarship

Obi decried the rot in the system, evident in the excruciating hardship and economic woes in the country, declaring that Nigeria of today was not what the founding fathers envisaged.

He declared that time had come for patriotic Nigerians to join the ongoing efforts to rescue the country from political hijackers and rebuild it.

The Labour Party presidential candidate said the reason poverty rate was high up in the country was because Nigeria had remained a consuming country instead of a producing nation. He put the blame squarely on poor leadership and lack of vision by those occupying leadership positions in the country.

“This country has young people full of energy and talents but the old ones don’t want to give them space. So, we must find the youths a space. We must create opportunities for the poor in this country to earn a living.

“We cannot continue this way. This is not our country. A country where people cannot buy a loaf of bread is not our country. Our country must be productive. We must take back our country and end this poverty,” the former Anambra State governor declared, while extolling the talent and will of the Nigerian youth to make Nigeria great.

Obi called on Nigerians to continue to pray for the leaders so they could use public funds to work for the people and not spend them on their pleasure.

READ: Methodist Bishop commends Otti for being consistent in quest for good governance

“I ask for your prayers. Continue to pray for Nigeria. Use me as a point of contact. Let God touch our leaders to use public money for public good.

“It’s not their personal money. They must use it for public good. We must stop this waste. There is too much waste in the system.

“People are being owed their salaries and pensions, yet those owing them are living like stars. It’s unfair.

“In 2023, we must make a difference. We must take back our country and rebuild it”.

The presidential hopeful said that within two years, under his watch as President, Aba and Port Harcourt would become one city.

He said he had already told Governor Okezie Ikpeazu how Aba, the economic nerve of Abia, would be transformed to join its neighbouring Port Harcourt.

“I told Ikpeazu today that if I become President, within two years, Aba will join Port Harcourt and they will become one city.

“Those things they produce abroad, we can produce them here in Aba and export them. We must go and compete with the world.

“The shoes in Aba must be exported. All we need is government’s support to export them so we can make a living,” he said.