By Ayomide Otitoju
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has pledged to make governance measurable and accountable, with a focus on the welfare and productivity of Nigerians if elected president.
Obi made the pledge in his Independence Day address on Thursday, saying his administration would prioritise security, education, healthcare and productive enterprise.
He said Nigerians would begin to see the impact of his proposed approach to governance within the first year of his administration.
“My message today is not one of despair. It is a message of hope, determination and responsibility. I dare to proclaim with full assurance that a new Nigeria is possible,” Obi said.
He also promised to tackle insecurity to enable farmers to return to their farms, children to return to school and businesses to operate without fear.
“No Nigerian should be forced to live in an IDP camp because his or her government has failed to provide security,” he said, adding that his administration would seek to create conditions for displaced Nigerians to return safely and with dignity to their communities.
Obi said he would seek to move Nigeria towards a more productive economy, with greater emphasis on job creation, agriculture, manufacturing and human capital development.
He said education, healthcare, security and productive enterprise should be treated as essential foundations of national development rather than luxuries.
The former Anambra State governor also referred to his recent visit to the Ramin Kura Internally Displaced Persons camp in Sokoto State with Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso. He said the visit exposed the difficult conditions facing displaced Nigerians, including women and children.
Obi said the conditions at the camp reflected wider challenges facing the country, including insecurity, poverty, unemployment, hunger, out-of-school children, drug abuse and inadequate healthcare.
He argued that Nigeria’s challenges were not primarily due to a lack of resources but to the failure to translate its human and natural resources into improved living standards, productivity, security and shared prosperity.
Obi Pledges to Lead by Example
Obi also pledged that, if elected, he would spend his holidays in different parts of Nigeria rather than outside the country.
“My holidays will be spent in Zamfara State; Borno State; Kwara State; Ebonyi State; Edo State; Ekiti State and other Nigerian States,” he said.
He said the move would allow him to engage directly with Nigerians, understand their challenges and experience conditions in different parts of the country.
Obi said his proposed administration would seek to build a secure, united and productive Nigeria through what he described as competent and accountable governance.
He also called on citizens to demand accountability from public officials, saying national development required responsible leadership as well as active citizen participation.
