Peter Obi: Nigerians Must Search For Leader Who Will Unite The Country

LAGOS FEBRUARY 20TH (NEWSRANGERS)-Former Governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi has reiterated that Nigerians must quickly search for a leader that will unite the country along the line of common citizenship and nationalistic objective, rather than the one with the tendency to further escalate the current misgivings among the divergent ethnic groups in the country.
Obi, who has assumed the toga of Nigeria’s moral compass, especially in matters of prudence in governance and promotion of ethical values, told reporters in Lagos, on Sunday that the only solution capable of pulling the country from its current, socio-political and economic morass was for a total change of the conversation among the citizens.
“The new narrative must not only shift from the present recourse to ethnic, religious and other primordial sentiments, to placing value on competence and capacity in the leadership of the country, but must take the primary focus of attention in the run to the 2019 general elections, Obi Stressed.
Obi, wondered how Nigeria could get out of the woods when an incompetent candidate without sound pedigree in terms of knowledge and skills in the new world order, would be preferred over one that was quite rooted in the know-how of running a modern society, simply on the basis of such drawbacks as ethnicity and religion.
The former governor, who said he preferred to be an ordinary citizen in a great nation than lead a failed country, disclosed that Nigeria must look at the manner other successful countries were doing things, adding that without toeing the right part, no amount of prayer or remonstrations, would save the country.
His words: “Our conversations in this country, must change. I have said it that anybody who is happy the way things are going in this country or is celebrating today, is an animal. How can you be celebrating with the perfidy going on in government and in the society?
“Surprisingly what people are talking about is completely outside what they should be discussing. Okay, let us assume that a part of this country is crying that they should be given an opportunity, because it is their turn, would it not be to the benefit of the country that when you are given the opportunity, you produce your best to fill the position you seek?
“Have you ever heard that this road is built for people of one ethnic group or the other alone? A road that is bad, doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t recognise individual faces. You are not served free food in a restaurant because of where you come from. Nobody reduces the pump price of fuel because of who you are. Money doesn’t recognise ethnicity. Have you ever heard of a Nigerian businessman saying he wouldn’t sell to you because you are from one particular place or the order? So, where is this coming that prevents the country from having the best persons to lead them?
“Today, ask anybody what is paradigm shift? They will say it’s the turn of East, West or North. But we must be alive first to get to that. So, why not work to elect someone that will ensure that things are turned around, someone who can transform the infrastructure and build the capacity? That is the conversation that must change. Give us the best from your place.
“Time has come for Nigerians to demand that, that person you are bringing, must have a past. What has the person been doing before? How well has he managed himself? How has he managed the place he was in the past? Has he been able to grow anything or was static or even destroyed the ones he had before? These are the questions.

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