We’re not at war, but Nigerians are refugees – Peter Obi

The 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has decried the growing insecurity and hardship across Nigeria, describing the country as a “crime scene” in dire need of repair.

Speaking at an event in Abuja on Tuesday, June 10, Obi lamented that although Nigeria is not officially at war, many citizens live like refugees, both within and outside the country. In his words;

“Today in Nigeria, we’re not officially at war, yet Nigerians are living in IDP camps in their own country. Nigerians are refugees in Chad, in Cameroon. And the only reason is because we don’t have a government that cares for them,” he said

The former Anambra state governor urged Nigerians to actively work to “dismantle this crime scene called a country,” warning that the current system is unsustainable and dangerous.

“Some people are dancing while the ship is sinking. When it finally goes down, it will consume everyone, rich or poor. I’ve seen this before in places like Beirut and Afghanistan. Crisis does not discriminate,” he warned

He criticized the nation’s priorities, pointing out that while government buildings are being renovated and parties thrown, women continue to die during childbirth and millions of children remain out of school.

“We use public resources to paint offices and build mansions, while women die trying to give birth. According to a recent report, one woman dies every seven minutes in Nigeria during childbirth. That’s what we want to dismantle,” Obi stated.

Obi emphasized that many of Nigeria’s problems stem from a lack of leadership and value creation.

“Our leaders in government and business are producing poverty. When people hoard money without creating value, they are fueling poverty. A functional economy must be built on the exchange of real value,” he said.

On currency devaluation, Obi supported the idea but stressed the need to eliminate corruption first.

“Yes, I support removing fuel subsidy, but only after removing the criminality in the system. If we build confidence in the market and clean up corruption, the naira will stabilize. It’s happening in Ghana and Angola — why not here?”