Obi announced the completion of the construction of 10 boreholes in some states of the north for a short-term water supply for the poor.
By Jeffrey Agbo
Former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has challenged rich Nigerians to do more for the poor in the society in the area of provision of water and education.
Obi said at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday that 70% of the wealth of Nigeria is in the hands of about 1% of Nigerians and noted that if one per cent of the population of about 200,000 rich Nigerians can deploy their resources for the basic needs of the poor in the society, the situation will not be as deplorable.
He further charged governments at all levels to ensure that resource deployment is aimed at improving the living standards of the poor and pulling them out of poverty.
The LP leader said that his plea in these two areas, water and education, derives from his discoveries after taking a humanitarian tour of some areas in the country that opened his eyes to the extent of poverty and abandonment of the people.
Obi, who announced the completion of the construction of 10 boreholes in some states of the north for a short-term water supply for the poor, said that if 200,000 rich Nigerians join him to do the same in the area of their choice, it would go a long way to solve the water needs of the poor.
Similarly in the area of education, Obi said that the potential he found out mingling with the almajiri in the Quranic schools in the north moved him to tears. He said the children are brilliant but need adequate support to develop them well to grow to be catalysts of development.
“I am carrying out a campaign to make the rich in our midst do more in providing water to our rural poor and helping to pull the out-of-school children off the streets for proper development,” said Obi.
“This is the time to cut waste, our larger population can’t be suffering conspicuous lack of basic needs like water and we live lavish lifestyles in their midst, our crisis of insecurity and other challenges derives from poverty and it’s our responsibility to pull people out of poverty through good education.”
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On what he would do differently as president following his criticism of coastal roads, Obi said that under his watch as president, there would be no road until all the existing roadworks in the country are put in order.
“I cannot embark on a new road when we can’t connect our states and cities in all the geopolitical zones because of bad roads. I will first fix the roads and move the economy,” he said.
On 2027 polls, Obi said his concern now is how to see Nigeria work.
“Only God can tell who can run for election in future, my interest now is the poor and how to see Nigeria work,” he said.
Obi assured that the crisis in the Labour Party would be resolved amicably.
Responding to a question that he did not build any school when he was governor of Anambra State, he said those who said that failed to avail themselves of his manifesto.
Obi said that when he became governor of Anambra State, education was in shambles, schools were closed and the state was number 26 in the country but by the time he left, Anambra was number one in the country.
“I improved the quality, physical and mental well-being of the people. Schools had the basic things they needed and the people shone like stars and that was my manifesto. Building new schools when the old ones are moribund is just like building coastal lines when internal roads are impassable,” he said.
