Hardship: ‘Salvage Nigeria From Further Economic Collapse’, Obi Cries Out to Tinubu, Other Leaders

• Peter Obi has asked politicians in Nigeria to always focus on service to the people and how the society can grow
• In a statement on Monday, July 22, Obi challenged leaders of Africa’s most populous nation to commit to inclusive and sustainable growth to end the prevailing hardship
• According to him, the hardship which has "continued to burden our fellow Nigerians" must be surmounted

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering public economic matters.

FCT, Abuja - Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, on Monday, July 22, lamented that “for the past nine years, Nigeria's economy has seen unprecedented retrogression on many fronts”.

In a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, Obi, a former governor of Anambra state, complained about the fact that Nigeria has retrogressed to the fourth largest economy in Africa.

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Legit.ng recalls that in April, forecasts by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) showed that Nigeria’s economy, which ranked as Africa’s largest in 2022, is set to slip to fourth place in 2024.

Citing some statistics, Peter Obi asserted that Nigeria has recorded a sharp decline in national prosperity.

He said in a statement he personally signed:

“Today, poverty is pervasive and on the increase. Unemployment is rising. Food inflation has skyrocketed to over 43%.

“Foreign and local investors are losing faith in the future growth of our economy and are leaving in large numbers. Businesses are shutting down. Urgent actions need to be taken to salvage the nation from further economic collapse and move it from consumption to production!”

'Nigerian leaders more concerned about luxury' - Obi

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Furthermore, the presidential hopeful criticised the present crop of Nigerian leaders, saying they are “more concerned with funding their selfish luxuries and individual lavishness”.

He continued:

“However, instead of concerning ourselves with all these challenges threatening our collective existence and finding ways to recreate an inclusive and sustainable economy, pull millions of people out of poverty, and return our nearly 20 million out-of-school children to schools, our leaders are more concerned with funding their selfish luxuries and individual lavishness while throwing blames at others who are only committed to solving the nation's problems.”

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Atiku greets Peter Obi

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Nigerian perennial presidential aspirant and former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, sent a kind birthday message to former ally, Obi, as he clocks a new age.

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Atiku described his former running mate as "a dedicated patriot".

Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng