ENUGU – PEOPLES Democratic Party, PDP, Vice presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, on Tuesday, lampooned the anti-corruption policy of the President Mohammadu Buhari-led federal government, saying the country has receded in attempt to frighten and muscle the opposition with anti-graft campaign.
Obi spoke at the 3rd South East Economic Summit with the theme, “South East Nigeria: An Investment Destination.”

He gave an instance that when peoples’ businesses that employ thousands of people and which render crucial services to the society are shut down in guise that they were established through corrupt means, the nation would lose more than the value of the looted money, if any.

He blamed the nation’s poverty on over dependence on oil revenue to the detriment of other resources, arguing that oil has become a declining asset which many nations are dumping.

Obi gave the example of Venezuela, which he noted has the largest deposit of oil in the world, with 23 million population but is economically a failed nation because it failed to adopt modern economic model like developed countries that run knowledge-based economy.

He said “Nigeria in the past three years actually came down from GDP of 520 billion to a GDP of less than 400 million, and that was why I was worried when people say we are doing well… fighting corruption is not an economic policy; it’s a disaster…”

The PDP presidential candidate said that South East and South South geopolitical zones of the country have the capacity to change Nigeria economically as they have the regions with the fastest growing cities in the country.

“Knowledge economy is the driver of the world today. Nobody is talking about baggage (oil) economy; in our own, its’ even a diminishing asset.

“People are now trying to build vehicles, they don’t need petroleum and we are still busy arguing everything, price of oil went up, price of oil went down; when we have talented young men that can change this place if supported, and this is what we need to look at and support them.

“Like I always said to people, your country in 2016 had 70 something million poor people and India had 76 million poor people. Within three years India pulled 102 million people out of poverty. They have no oil. Your country pulled 12 million into poverty and we became number one, they became number two. They have no oil.”

In a remark, first Republic Minister of Aviation and elder statesman, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi lambasted the present crop of Igbo politicians for always shouting that Ndigbo were marginalized in the country, declaring that nobody was marginalizing Ndigbo.

He enjoined the people of the zone to take advantage of their entrepreneurial acumen to build super economic structure within the region so that what they cannot get politically, they get economically.

“I told the present set of politicians whom I regard as opportunists, and careerists, people who are in politics for what they can get and not for what they can give; people who are in politics as surrogates of the rotten military that we have had in this country; if they do not give leadership, we can grab leadership and let us grab that economic leadership.

“If political power eludes us and we are economically powered in this country, politicians will respect us, they cannot do without us. Let us develop an Eastern Region, let us develop South East states that this country cannot do economically without.
“If we develop it people will respect us, even the so called governmental power will come to you, people will come to you begging you, come and take power, come and lead us and come and show us what you have done in your place.”

The economic summit chaired by founder of Diamond Bank, Dr. Pascal Dozie was supported by United Kingdom Department for International Development through Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL); and Ford Foundation.

The summit was attended by business and political leaders from Igboland, including Prof. Barth Nnaji.

Wiseandtrue:
Peter Obi our soon to be ex-president will not understand what you just said ooooo

[b]Please can you use cartoon

The guy dull no be small [/b]

Sirjamo:
This Obi with his frog voice is even more daft than I thought. China and India have been hanging their corrupt officials, that's why their economic plans are working.

Afamed:
The only Governor with one wrist watch. Lying hypocrite

Asshurbanipal:

You called him a liar yet you are using his honest quote to support buhari. Now understand this, buhari may not have created the problem but he is clueless in bringing solutions and therefore should give way for those with the solutions

Afamed:

He speaks with two sides of mouth. Thats a sign of hypocrite

Metuh:


Without your frog voice, you are dafter than Peter Obi self.


So after China hangs the corrupt politicians, economy will just boom right? No proper measure will be put in place?


The issue is that Buhari should fight corruption and also improve the economy at the same time.

Sirjamo:
Maybe you are suffering from cataract, didn't you see where I wrote "that's why their economic plans are working?"

Metuh:


So their economic plans decided to work because corrupt officials were hanged



The government didn't put better measures in place? Was the government hanging oppositions alone?



You think China president is like Buhari the dullard right

ruggedmallaam:
PMB IS SMARTER!
By: Adolf Ransom Pepple
Atiku has engaged the man who allegedly manipulated the United States presidential election results in favour of Donald Trump. He has paid the man $1m to help him rig Nigeria's presidential election in his favour.
But when they were strategizing in Dubai, it was observed that such rigging cannot happen in Nigeria if electronic transmission of results is not deployed.
The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who is Atiku's Campaign DG smartly manipulated the electoral act bill, removed the clause that says votes should be counted. It contains only the one that says results should be announced. He also made it mandatory that results should be transmitted electronically in a country where almost half of its territory has no communication network. How can you announce a result that was not counted? So their rigging expert can manipulate the figures online. If he could do it in United States, is it in Nigeria that he cannot do it? This is the secret behind their jactitations that they will defeat President Muhammadu Buhari.
And one Oby Ezekwesili, one of Obasanjo's stooges, called a Press Conference to persuade President Buhari to give assent to such rubbish. Presidential candidate my ass!
The obvious is that President Buhari will never sign that document. We will use the electoral act put together by a PDP-dominated National Assembly, and assented to by a PDP president of Nigeria. Any other position on this matter is absolute bunkum!
Saraki and Dogara can do whatever they like. Let them override the president and assent to the electoral bill. Let us see who would implement it.
This was what they went to Dubai to plan. But if you hold your own in your palm, do you know what I have in my pocket?
President Buhari and APC are always two steps ahead of them. Let the heaven fall. That manipulation cannot stand. It will not come to pass.
I rest my case!

ngoziempress:
Yo loud it! "Mr integrity" claims he is fighting corruption yet "snakes" and "monkeys" are stealing money form offices . Oshey Buhari the destroyer. i'm surprised that we let him stay this long.