Taiwo Popoola
Former Governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of the Labour Party in 2023, Peter Obi has attributed the insecurity ravaging the northern part of Nigeria to poverty.
Obi made this claim on Friday, during a visit to the Muslim community in Awka, the Anambra State capital, where he broke the Ramadan fast with them.
Obi said his only interest was for Nigeria to be set aright and brought back to the once progressive and prosperous nation it used to be. He called for robust investment in the education sector and the empowerment of young people to overcome poverty.
While addressing the Muslim faithful, Obi said: “The criminality you see in the North is because of poverty. We need to fix poverty and empower the education sector for these things to be addressed. I believe in you people, I believe in Nigeria. We are all the same. There is nowhere people of any religion buy bread cheaper, what Nigerians want is a good life.
“Every Nigerian wants to live in peace in any part they find themselves, we want to live in peace, we want our children to live together. We want to return Nigeria to where she used to be.”
The presidential hopeful added that he will continue to support the Muslim faithful in Anambra while also pledging support for the rebuilding of a primary school inside the mosque.
Earlier, the leader of the Hausa community and National Deputy Director General of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeder Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, Gidado Siddiki thanked Obi for consistently coming to the mosque to break fast with them every year.
He said: “Every year during Ramadan, you make it a priority to join us for Iftar, sharing meals and gifts with us. You have done this in Onitsha and Awka, and beyond that, you have continuously supported our community by donating towards the renovation of our mosques and sponsoring some of our members to Hajj, both during your time in office and even now.
“The countless good deeds you have done for us cannot be fully enumerated. We pray that Almighty Allah grants you success in your aspirations for higher office.”
