By Valentine Amanze, Online Editor
The Vice Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 general elections, Mr Peter Obi, has decried the “painful level of rot and decay in Nigeria’s politics.”
He said that a new Nigeria would emerge if honest men could join Nigeria’s political space with the intention of causing positive change.
Obi, at the Nigeria Leadership Series, hosted by Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, said that Nigerian elite were part of the major problems facing the nation.
He said that the elite and informed citizens who were at the fore-front of change had refused to contribute positively to nation building, but were bent on finding ways of satisfying their selfish interests.
“What we see in Nigeria today is a situation, where people are getting more greedy and becoming less caring about the less-privileged.
“The learned and averagely comfortable ones in the country have little or no virtue of contentment. The less-priviledged ones who need all the opportunity in life to become rich, now appear to be more honest than the elite”, Obi said.
The Anambra State former governor also expressed hopes that Nigeria would become a better place if men of integrity would bring in honesty into Nigeria’s political landscape.
He said that the current evils of god-fatherism, bribery and corruption, abuse of public office would be reduced when people, who have the nation’s interest at heart join politics.
He argued that politics would remain dirty, as long as people who have selfish interests continue to parade the corridoors of power.
He noted that fear of criticism, verbal and physical attacks, and in some cases death, has made many Nigerians stand aloof from the political process of the nation.
Obi urged them to live above their fears and understand that buidling Nigeria is a collective responsibility.
He called on men of integrity to always speak out for the sake of the nation.
“Once you decide to stand on the path of truth in a country like ours, people are going to question you, attack you and even victimise you. But you need to keep examining yourself if you are saying and doing the right thing. Once you are convinced that you are on the path of truth, you have nothing to fear.
“We cannot remain doclie while our nation sinks from one level of failure to another. Light will shine in darkness and darkness will not comprehend it.
“Every country that has progressed from failure to national success passed through the same phase. Men of vision, sincerity, uprightness, probity, honour and moral rectitude, always rise up to cause a wave of change that turns around a nation for the better.
“We have such men in Nigeria. This is the time for them to rise up and join hands to save our country”, Obi stated.