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Tag: Obi

  • My biggest challenge as governor, by Obi

    Former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi said that his biggest challenge as governor was the battle to change the mindset of the Anambra people.

    Speaking while addressing students of St. Michael’s Model Comprehensive Secondary School, Nimo, Obi explained how tough it was trying to make his Executive Council and others who worked with him to understand the concept of accountability and responsibility in governance.

    Mr. Obi expressed happiness that the battle he fought to return schools to the missions has been yielding fruit in the improvement in infrastructure and general performance. He thanked the Church for their efforts, and called on the wealthy to support the Church to make the society a better place

    He said, “When I expressed the intention to return schools to missions at a State Executive Council meeting only three out of 30 members supported me. Even Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) threatened to go on strike if I tried that and actually did. But I knew I was right and insisted until I had my way. Today I am so happy to see the transformation in this school since I took the bold but unpopular decision.”

    In his remarks, the manager of the school, Rev. Fr. Francis Obi Okoye thanked Mr. Obi for coming. He said Anambra people would ever remain grateful to him for his disposition towards education which has continued even after he left office.

  • Obi, Daniel felicitate with Muslims

    Obi, Daniel felicitate with Muslims

    Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and ex-Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel have felicitated with Muslims as they celebrate the 2017  Eid-el-Fitri festival.

    Obi reminded them  about the  spiritual message which this solemn feast signifies for the entire human society.

    He said: “The successful conclusion of the Ramadan fast, upon which the Eid-el-Fitri festivity rests, is an apt reminder that human society must be imbued with those values that lead to, and reflect the brilliance of God.”

    Obi, who said the celebration underscored love, friendship, brotherliness, charity and generosity, among other values, reminded Muslims of the virtues of harmonious co-existence in a diverse society like Nigeria.

    His words: “Greatness will come to nations that consciously plan and work for it through consensus and confidence building measures.”

    Daniel, in a goodwill message signed by his Media Officer, Ayo Giwa, said: “Muslims should be guided by the spirit of the period of total abstinence, keeping away from vices in all ramifications and imbibing the teachings and pious lifestyles of the Holy Prophet Muhammad”.

    The former governor urged Muslim faithful to uphold the lessons of the holy month by avoiding sinful acts that were abhorred and not allow them to become part of their lives after Ramadan.

    The celebration of Eid-el-Fitri, he stated, goes beyond merry-making but rather, a period of total submission to the will of Allah as demonstrated during the fasting period.”

  • Obi, Ohakim disagree on leadership role in Nigeria’s crisis

    The former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, has traced the problem of Nigeria to both the leaders and the followers. Obi made the remark during the presentation of the key note address at the 5th memorial lecture in honour of Prof. Celestine Onwuliri at Chris VI Hotel at Ahiara, Imo State, yesterday. Obi said that the leaders of Nigeria, all of them inclusive, had not shown passionate concern for the country. He also indicted the followers for not telling the leaders the truth even when they are on the wrong path.

    “Once somebody becomes a local government chairman, in six months, he would dedicate his new house and even bishops will preside at his thanksgiving, praying to God to bless him, even when it is obvious he has stolen the people’s money when the proper attitude would have been to shout thief, thief!”, Obi said. Lamenting the growing debt profile of the country, leading to the use of over 50% of the budgeted money for debt services and lack of savings culture, Obi called for the total re-examination and overhauling of the country’s financial architecture.

    Using the savings of many countries as an example, he submitted that if the country had saved, that it would not have experienced inflation. Disagreeing with him on the problem of leadership, the former governor of Imo State, Chief IkediOhakim, said that lack of structure and not problem of leadership or followership was the problem of the country. Using Obi as an example, he said that Nigeria had been able to produce fantastic leaders in the past. The event was chaired by Chief Paschal Dozie, while the special guest, former President, Dr. GoodluckEbele Jonathan was represented by Sen. Pius Anyim. Many other dignitaries graced the event. Prof Celestine Onwuliri was among those that died in the 2013 Dana plane crash in Lagos.

  • Obi, Ohakim disagree on leadership role in Nigeria’s crisis

    The former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, has traced the problem of Nigeria to both the leaders and the followers. Obi made the remark during the presentation of the key note address at the 5th memorial lecture in honour of Prof. Celestine Onwuliri at Chris VI Hotel at Ahiara, Imo State, yesterday. Obi said that the leaders of Nigeria, all of them inclusive, had not shown passionate concern for the country. He also indicted the followers for not telling the leaders the truth even when they are on the wrong path.

    “Once somebody becomes a local government chairman, in six months, he would dedicate his new house and even bishops will preside at his thanksgiving, praying to God to bless him, even when it is obvious he has stolen the people’s money when the proper attitude would have been to shout thief, thief!”, Obi said.

    Lamenting the growing debt profile of the country, leading to the use of over 50% of the budgeted money for debt services and lack of savings culture, Obi called for the total re-examination and overhauling of the country’s financial architecture. Using the savings of many countries as an example, he submitted that if the country had saved, that it would not have experienced inflation. Disagreeing with him on the problem of leadership, the former governor of Imo State, Chief IkediOhakim, said that lack of structure and not problem of leadership or followership was the problem of the country.

    Using Obi as an example, he said that Nigeria had been able to produce fantastic leaders in the past. The event was chaired by Chief Paschal Dozie, while the special guest, former President, Dr. GoodluckEbele Jonathan was represented by Sen. Pius Anyim. Many other dignitaries graced the event. Prof Celestine Onwuliri was among those that died in the 2013 Dana plane crash in Lagos.

  • Obi mulls introduction of privatisation policy

    Obi mulls introduction of privatisation policy

    Former governor of Anambra state, Mr. Peter Obi has made a case for introduction of policy that can allow privatisation of assets to enhance deepening of the nation’s capital market

    Obi made the observation while speaking at second annual Capital Market Summit of the Association of Owners of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria (ASHON) held in Lagos.

    The one-time Chairman of Fidebility Bank Plc, also called on the federal government to put up such policy even as it urged it put in place privatisation model that sets a limit and encourages the privatised firms to be listed in the capital and raise funds for their operations

    He faulted idea of government funding companies that have already been privatized.

    The Chief Executive of Anmbra who delivered a lecture tagged: ‘Financing Infrastructure Development and Industrialisation: The Capital Market Way’, noted that what we are doing is “privatising profit and sharing losses.

    “We are the only country that privatize wrongly. I was in the UK when Margaret Thatcher decided to private British Airways London Electricity among others. It was a deliberate policy that you have to get investors. In our own case, what we did was to privatize profit and share losses. We should enact a policy that set limit and allow the privatised entities to be listed and raise funds from the market subsequently. Today we are borrowing from China to build airports. Go to South Africa, India, Turkey, they raise funds from the capital market to build infrastructure,” he said.

    Waxing philosophical, he said: “Today you sell an asset to Mr. Obi, tomorrow you say the asset cannot work and government will intervene and give him more money. I am saying get these assets and sell to the public. All the money you put into power assets, for instance, let them go to the capital market raise additional funds. When are quoted in the market their operations will become more open and efficient.”

    Obi reiterated that the Nigerian economy is recession because we failed to save in the past.

    “And our constitution says we cannot save. There is no constitution in the world that does encourage savings. We have what is called the federation account where all government revenues are paid and shared among the three

  • Obi left over $150 million, former Bank MD confirms

    FORMER Anambra Governor Peter Obi left over $150 million in office, former Managing Director of Diamond Bank, Dr. Alex Oti confirmed yesterday.

    He was reacting to the debate on whether Obi left money or not.

    Oti spoke while delivering the keynote address on the theme: “Nigeria Economic Recession: Ways out of the Woods” at the 8th Annual Conference of the Academy for Entrepreneurial Study, Nigeria in Lagos.

    The former bank chief said Obi left over $150 million of state funds in Diamond, Access and Fidelity Banks.

    He hailed the former governor for achieving the feat despite his spectacular performance in Anambra in the area of delivery of infrastructure, education, industrialisation and other sectors.

    Oti said more perplexing was that unlike other governors, Obi did not owe salaries, contractors and or borrow from any financial institution.

    Obi’s feat, according to him, demonstrates Nigeria has good people who improve things when they get the opportunity to lead.

    The former bank chief said: “ What Nigeria needs now are leaders who should inspire confidence in the people by doing what leadership require: serving the people and not himself or his people.

    “A good leader does not need to be reminded that leaders must cut costs, avoid unnecessary expenditure and encourage diversification, among others.”

  • Obi to youths: don’t give up

    Obi to youths: don’t give up

    Former governor of Anambra State Peter Obi has advised youths to remain focused and keep pushing forward even when they are down. He reminded them of the saying: when there is life there is hope.

    Obi was speaking to medical students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University on their campus at Okofia, Nnewi, Anambra State.

    Speaking to the students who filled the auditorium, with many more standing outside, Obi emphasised that whatever the distraction, anyone desirous of success must not lose focus. He hinted that despite the fact that people called him names in an attempt to force him to share Anambra State’s money out to people, he refused and stayed focused in delivering dividends of democracy to the people.

    He made it clear that a committed man should not be interested in making a few friends happy, but rather should be focused on doing what is right and beneficial to the entire society.

    Speaking further, he reminded the students that their youth was their critical tool. Obi agreed that young people were permitted by the law of growth and development to be impulsive, but he said that the problem was usually when some of them, rather than grow to thoughtful young adults, remained becalmed in adolescence.

    Obi said most famous men, including those that founded business and Information Technology empires, started in their youth and concluded that the successes of today were the crystallization of the dreams of yesterday.

    Speaking briefly on the youth and Nigerian politics, Obi advised them not to allow themselves to be used by politicians, some of whom sent their children to schools abroad and remain at home looking for youths to use as thugs. Obi argued that once the youth follow the dictates of their conscience in playing politics and not contended with “crumbs”, things will improve in Nigeria.

    Speaking after the conference, the man behind it and the chaplain, Catholic Youth Organisation of Nigeria, Nnewi Diocese and St. Camillus de Lellis Chaplaincy, College of Health Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Rev. Fr. Chetanna Jude Chukwuneke said that he was fulfilled by the programme, which he described as among the programmes designed to inculcate positive values in the youth through words of wisdom from men of proven integrity

  • Anambra 2017: Obiano, Obi, Umeh, others clash over Ojukwu

    Top politicians and parties in Anambra State are at one another’s throats over who has the blessing of the late Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, as the November 18 governorship election draws close.

    Investigations confirmed the old controversy between former Governor Peter Obi; former National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh and many others over who has the political blessing of the late Igbo leader in Anambra State has been resurrected.

    The issue has become the most important campaign slogan in the state ahead of the governorship election.

    Being the National Leader of APGA before his death, the party made it a point of duty, since the 2010 governorship election, which Peter Obi won, to concentrate its campaigns on the person and blessing of the late Biafran leader.

    The party under the leadership of Governor Willie Obiano has again resolved to use Ojukwu’s name and his alleged blessing as anchor of its campaigns.

    But other parties, politicians and stakeholders are crying blue murder, accusing APGA of deceiving the people of Anambra with the name of the revered late leader.

    Anambra State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has scolded Obiano for using the name to campaign for the November 18 governorship poll.

    In a statement in Awka, the PDP chairman, Kenneth Emeakayi, alleged Obiano dismantled the billboards mounted by Obi with the pictures of Ojukwu.

    He said it was “nauseating and deceitful” for Obiano to remember the late leader with election around the corner again.

    He lamented: “Just about six months to another governorship election in the state, the Obiano-led APGA administration suddenly remembered the name, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

    “Billboards are now being hoisted, while government-owned vehicles are branded with Ojukwu’s photograph.”

    Other political parties in the state are equally irritated over APGA’s and Obiano’s use of Ojukwu’s name as a major campaign slogan.

    The party’s claim, in recently erected signposts, bearing Ojukwu’s pictures, is that APGA is the party that belongs to Ndigbo.

    Dr. Chike Obidigbo, one of the governorship aspirants on the platform of APC, told The Nation: “I have nothing against APGA.

    “People say APGA is an Igbo party but truly if APGA is an Igbo party, why is it only in Anambra State?

    “Is Abia not Igbo land? Are Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo not Igbo land? Why are they not there?

    “Why do they have to go to campaign for APGA in Edo State? So, APGA is not an Igbo party and the original intention of the founders of APGA was not to make it an Igbo party.

    “The whole idea was to make APGA a regional party; that regional party should form a negotiating bloc into the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

  • Obi donates N1m to school

    The Manager of St. Kizito Secondary School, Umudioka, Rev. Fr. Nonso Okoye, has described former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi as the best governor since Anambra State was created.

    Fr. Nonso was speaking  when Obi visited the school,  which is one of the schools he returned to the Church in 2010

    The cleric said:  “Mr. Peter Obi has remained my best Governor since the inception of Anambra State. When he was the governor, he touched every nook and cranny of the state. In health sector, he did wonders in the state. In the area of road construction, he made Anambra to be a state with the best network of roads in the state. He remains the only governor in Anambra State that did not leave debts and arrears of salaries at the time he handed over. In the area of education, Oh, he was exceptional, which all of us, including our school can testify to.  Obi has remained an icon, an institution. The way he treats people manifestly shows him as a good man.”

    Obi thanked the cleric, staff and students of the school for the massive infrastructural development of the school.

    However, he reminded them that they must at all times strive to match the improvement with good performances and being many notches ahead of others in values, manners and morals so that when they graduate from the school, they would be intellectually and morally fit to conquer the world.

    The highlight of the visit was the presentation of the cheque of N1 million to the school for  infrastructural development.

    Speaking on behalf of the students, the Senior prefect of the school, Miss Onochie Perpetua said that the visit would remain green in the memories of students. He thanked Obi for remaining a noble role model in Nigeria and assured him that students would always abide by his fatherly advice at all times.

  • Obi marks Freedom Day with Sokoto kids

    Obi marks Freedom Day with Sokoto kids

    Former governor of Anambra State Peter Obi has celebrated the World Freedom Day with pupils and students of Holy Family Secondary School, Sokoto and St. Patrick’s School, Illela, the border town between Sokoto and Niger Republic.

    Mr. Obi who said that his decision to celebrate the day in remote parts of Sokoto State was a way of assuring Nigerian children wherever they are that somebody cared for them and will always be available to encourage them  to take their education seriously as the  most important currency for competition in the world.

    While in both schools, which have nursery, primary and secondary tiers, Obi went from class to class, interacting with the pupils. He told them that the essence of the World Freedom Day was not just being free from shackles of slavery, trafficking enslavement, but also being emancipated through education and acquisition of right values.

    Quoting Jean Jacques Rousseau, the French philosopher, Obi said: “When Rousseau said in his book ‘The Social Contract’, that man is free, but everywhere in chains, he meant not just slavery as you and I know, but also the dangerous type of slavery occasioned by ignorance, which proper education only can overcome.”

    On the visits, Obi donated N2 million to both schools, N1 million to each of them.

    Obi who recently returned from Rwanda and Kenya on similar school apostolate, has also been visiting schools in the northern part of the country.