The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, on Monday, said that the easiest method to increase the country’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) is to make the country self-sufficient food-wise.
Fielding questions on Arise TV’s Morning Show on Monday, Obi noted that as long as the country relies on imported foods to augment its agricultural production, Nigeria will always be at the mercy of other countries while the country’s Internally Generated Revenue suffers.
He reasoned that the first move will be to stabilize the output of the agricultural sector and make the country self-sufficient in terms of food.
According to him, the vast, empty and arable land in the northern parts of the country is the pride of the nation and the envy of other countries.
He, therefore, vowed that early in his administration, he will ensure that the agricultural sector will be performing at its optimal capacity, which will include mechanized and industrialized farming.
He also noted that the agricultural drive will push down the demand for foreign exchange, which will in turn help stabilize the economy.
On banditry, Fulani herdsmen menace to sustain agriculture, the Labour Party presidential candidate restated his commitment to stop the gnawing banditry and Fulani herdsmen menace which has seriously impeded the agricultural drive of the nation.
He lamented that the country has been brought to its knees by the catastrophe of flood ravaging the country as a result of climatic change which is already and will impact more, upon the output and price of food commodities across the country.
He noted that, meanwhile, even threat comes from banditry and Fulani herdsmen menace which have hampered the agricultural sector wherein farmers can no longer freely go to their farms to cultivate, generate food and income, and sustain themselves.
He also decried the situation whereby those who cultivated their farms could not harvest their produce over the life-threatening advances of bandits and Fulani herdsmen.
Obi argued that India, with its about 1.4 billion population, has achieved one hundred percent food dependency through the proper agricultural networks and wondered why Nigeria, with one hundred to two hundred population, cannot achieve the same feat.
He recalled that while he was in the United Kingdom as a student, India was rationing food supplies to its citizens while hunger took a heavy toll.
Today, however, those belong to the dustbin of history! He exclaimed.
He also mentioned other countries that have achieved one hundred percent food dependency through proper agricultural endeavours including Vietnam, China, Egypt, et al.
He, therefore, concluded that the only reasonable approach to sustainable agriculture will be to stop the hydra-headed monster of banditry and Fulani herdsmen menace, particularly in the northern parts of the country.
On the power sector, Peter Obi has assured that he will declare total war on electricity generation and distribution as one of his means to drive the economy and ensure self-sustenance.
He noted that no nation can move forward with adequate power generation and equitable distribution.
He, therefore, pledged to embark on multiple drives to ensure varied sources of electricity generation and fluent distribution.
He promised to encourage and support Individual and corporate efforts from any quarter to increase the generation of electricity and urged all think tanks in the power sector to come forward with any proposal that will drive power generation increase.
The Labour Party presidential candidate lamented the deplorable condition of electricity across the country and attributed it to a lack of vision, foresight, willpower, and accountability.
He assured that under his administration if voted to power, power dependence will be assured.
Peter Obi rebuffed claims that the motive behind his recent outreach to victims of flood disasters across various states in the country, involving his home Anambra State as well as other states is political.
Peter Obi regaled on his antecedents to humanitarian needs and help to victims of disasters as nothing short of legendary.
He recalled when, during the flood disaster of 2012, he went on foot into the flood to meet victims of flood disaster in his state and shared their plight following which he donated money and food items to assuage their pitiable condition as a governor.
This, he noted, happened, when his contemporaries were riding high on long convoys and private jets away from the reach of their subjects [see picture below].
He also recalled how, some years ago while he was a serving governor, he approached the then-president, Goodluck Jonathan, and told him he was going to Haiti to help victims of natural disasters.
To highlight his points more clearer, he said that he withdrew his son from school and traveled along with him to Haiti where he shared goodwill items, including food, medicines, and other items of sustenance.
He, therefore, cautioned that his humanitarian outreach on flooding in certain states of the country is not for mere show but his natural inclination to align with those in challenging circumstances.
When asked what will make his campaign promises different since other candidates including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, are making the same promises, the frontline presidential candidate from the Labour Party said the difference is “trust”.
He reasoned that it is a matter of who Nigerians will entrust with their lives, future, and posterity based on their antecedents and goodwill.
With his signature “Go and Verify”, he urged his interviewers, Dr. Reuben Abati and Mr. Oseni Rufai, and his listeners, not just to verify the veracity of his claims but also to check his antecedents as well as the antecedents of other candidates and determine who should be trusted.
He said that making promises is not enough but how far those promises were fulfilled, or at least how much effort was put in place by the politician to achieve the goal.
Obi insisted that he not only identified the various problems bedeviling the country but proffered solutions when called upon to do so.
He also recalled how he governed Anambra State and urged his listeners to use it as a yardstick to measure him and his claims based on facts and available records, especially on the internet. Read more.
Peter Obi challenged other presidential candidates to tell Nigerians their plans for the country by themselves and not through proxies.
He posited that he attends social, corporate, intellectual, economic, and even traditional events both at home and in the diaspora, meets people physically, engages them intellectually, answers their questions, comforts them, and gives hope for a brighter and better Nigeria.
He dared other candidates to follow suit and desist from hiding behind proxies and spokesmen.
The interviewers, agreeing with him, faulted the case of Tinubu who shies away from invited events and gets represented by his running mate, Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim Shettima.
Other times, his aides will appear on television sets on his behalf and make excuses over ‘why he could not appear.
