Peter Obi speaks on the state of the nation
Former presidential contender Peter Obi has argued that solving Nigeria’s insecurity is more vital than development of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road.
Peter Obi, a 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate and former governor of Anambra State, has criticised the Tinubu administration’s emphasis on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, contending that such massive infrastructure projects shouldn’t come before tackling Nigeria’s economic vulnerability and insecurity.
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In an exclusive interview with ARISE NEWS on Monday, Peter Obi questioned whether it was logical to commit vast resources to the several infrastructural projects that will “lead nowhere when we have crisis.”
“Are you saying that the coastal road is more important than securing Nigeria?” he asked.
Peter Obi stressed that security and production are the foundations of any functional economy. Without securing the country, he said, even the most ambitious infrastructure would amount to a misplaced priority.
He said, “The roads we have all over the country are no more durable. You fix those roads first and use your resources to secure your country. Security is far more fundamental than roads. Would you prefer a road to your village when you cannot drive to your village? If you prefer, let us do what we are doing. So if you say our problem is insecurity, they can’t go to farm, our problem is power, let’s deal with those things.”
“We are a government. We must secure our people, and it requires decisive action,” he added.
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Drawing on his experience as governor of Anambra State, Obi made the case that Nigeria must address its internal dangers with the gravity of a war and that the military, police, and other security forces must be given the authority to take decisive action.
“If we were in a war, we would declare a state of war… whatever it takes to secure the country, I would do it.”
Peter Obi further shared his opinion on other areas and matters plaguing the nation including IPOB and the issue of fuel subsidy.
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