Nigeria needs stingy leader to develop — Obi

THE standard-bearer of the Labour Party (LP) in the February 25 presidential poll, Mr Peter Obi, on Tuesday, said the country needs a stingy leader to develop in all sectors.

Recall that the presidential candidate of the All Progres- sive Congress APC, Senator Bola Tinubu had during a recent campaign rally allegedly accused Obi of saving money while he was the governor of Anambra State, instead of saving the people.

However, the LP flag bearer, who was at the Town Hall meeting with Anambra traditional rulers at the Govern- ment House Awka, on Tuesday, in continuation of his campaign tour, said that he owes no one any apology for being stingy, contending that he remains the youngest and the most eligible to be presi- dent among the four popular presidential candidates.

Obi averred: “This is not about turn, but about capacity and if it is about turn, people like us would insist that it is our turn and should be considered. The job of a president is not a retirement loan or for any kind of settlement, but about uniting and rebuilding the country.

“They said that I am a stingy man and I say they didn’t say that I am extravagant or that I embezzled public funds; only that I am stingy and I tell you the job and the presidency of our country needs a stingy person.”

He stated further: “When you look at me and my run- ning mate, you will discover that we are young compared with the other candidates, who are older and our na- tional chairman is in his 50s but the national chairman of the other candidates are about 70 years old or over.

“When you talk about qualification , I am the most qualified and the youngest among them and this is not a job for rehabilitation of people, because Nigeria needs a strong and vibrant person as president and one that is in tune with the trending and modern style of leadership so that our country would be counted among the comity of great nations in the world.”

At the town hall with the youth, Obi assured that the issue of industrial action by universities’ lecturers will be tackled under his administra- tion, explaining that the revenue from petroleum indus- try, which some people are sharing, is about the sum the lecturers are demanding for.

Speaking on behalf of the monarchs, Igwe Sunday Okafor of Okpuno community, lamented that in the past, those who had been presidents preferred go- ing for treatment abroad, lamenting that the cost of medical trip abroad had been a drain on the public funds.

Earlier on Monday in Asaba, Delta State, the LP presiden- tial candidate, had declared that the nation’s presidency is nobody’s turn as claimed in some quarters.

Rather, he said, it is the turn of Nigerians to take back their country, stressing that “let me say it here, presidency is nobody’s turn. Don’t let anybody tell you is his turn. Rather, as Nigerians, it is your turn to take back your country.”