Elder statesman and former NADECO chieftain, Chief Ralph Obioha, who was at the forefront of the struggle to end military rule in Nigeria, in an interview with The Vanguard correspondent, spoke about the challenges facing the country and suggested ways forward.
When he was talking about the removal of fuel subsidy, he supported the government’s decision to remove subsidy because it was unfair for a few people to keep collecting money without doing anything.
However, he explained that this did not justify the way it was done, since proper measures to reduce the negative effects were not put in place. According to him, the removal turned into a crisis because of the government’s failure to make such provisions. He stressed that the government should have admitted its mistake and found the best and most reasonable way to correct it.
He described the move as a colossal mistake and warned that no matter the explanations given, Nigerians were suffering. He added that if the suffering continued unchecked, it could reach a point where it became uncontrollable and might threaten the unity of the country, something he prayed would not happen.
Further talking, he said, “But I wish to repeat again, the present or future presidency of Peter Obi is a promise. And, it has a lot of validity that he will chart another course. Bola Tinubu should be satisfied he has been a Nigerian president for four years.”
He said that Peter Obi should be given a chance to serve for four years before power returns to the North. According to him, if Obi was able to begin something meaningful, the next leader from the North could continue from where he stopped.
He stressed that what mattered most in Nigeria was building a functional society that catered for the majority of the people, adding that the country was not only suffering but also bleeding. See, More, Here>>>
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