John Hopkins speech: Sanwo-Olu knocks Peter Obi for ‘demarketing’ Nigeria

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has said former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi lacks the moral justification to demarket Nigeria abroad.

Sanwo-Olu accused Obi of making comments that de-marketed Nigeria at the John Hopkins University in the United States, US.

He maintained that the former LP presidential candidate played a part in the poverty level in Anambra State as a governor.

Sanwo-Olu stressed that after Obi left of office, Willie Obiano took over the mantle of leadership in the state and reduced the poverty rate from almost 60 per cent to 14.8 per cent.

During an engagement at John Hopkins, Obi had painted a gloomy picture of Nigeria, saying the economy of the West African country has been backwards in the last 25 years.

Comparing Nigeria to China, Indonesia and Vietnam, Obi said in 1990, when the Human Development Index (HDI) measurement started, Nigeria, China, Vietnam and Indonesia were all classified under the medium category of the HDI measurement.

Condemning his remarks, Sanwo-Olu described Obi’s pattern of behaviour as disturbing.

The governor’s condemnation was contained in a statement titled, ‘Factually Addressing Mr. Peter Obi’s Criticism of Nigeria at Johns Hopkins University’.

Sanwo-Olu said: “He made unflattering remarks not just about the incumbent Nigerian government but also about Nigeria. I also find Mr Obi’s pattern of behaviour disturbing. When prominent Nigerians go overseas, they ought to project Nigeria positively.

“But after only two years in office, the poverty rate in Anambra jumped to 53.7 per cent. But the interesting thing is that five years after Peter Obi left office, his successor, Willie Obiano, reduced the poverty rate in Anambra from almost 60 per cent to 14.8 per cent.

“As such, I am not sure that Mr. Obi is morally well placed to make the alarming claims he made about Nigeria at Johns Hopkins. Mr Obi contributed to the increase in poverty in Nigeria.”

Sanwo-Olu pointed out that Obi failed to adequately fight poverty, improve education, and healthcare decay when he was governor of Anambra State.

He said it was ironic that the former governor of Anambra, who did not build a single school or a stand-alone hospital throughout his tenure, is criticising the Federal Government.

The Lagos governor added: “I find it somewhat ironic that a man like Mr Obi, who did not build a single school or a stand-alone hospital throughout his eight-year tenure as governor of Anambra or sustainably provide credit facilities, would criticise the government of Nigeria, which is actively doing that.”

John Hopkins speech: Sanwo-Olu knocks Peter Obi for ‘demarketing’ Nigeria