……. I’m not desperate to be Nigeria’s President -Peter Obi
……seeks huge investment in agriculture,donate bore hole to fulani settlement in Kebbi
From Olanrewaju Lawal Birnin Kebbi
Emir of Gwandu and Chairman of Council of Chiefs,Kebbi State, Alhaji Muhammad Illiyasu Bashar has urged Nigeria’s leaders to listen to former Governor of Anambra state and Presidential candidate of Labour Party(LP) in the 2023 general elections on how to solve the nation problems.
The traditional ruler,who stated this while addressing Peter Obi and his entourage during their courtesy visit to him at his palace, Birnin Kebbi,said, he had been listen and heard what Obi has been proffered as solutions to Nigeria problems and his recommendations must be noted.
Emir Gwandu who appreciated Obi for visiting him during Ramadan,said,he has known him for a long time since he was in Enugu in 1966.
According to him, “I was not surprise that you are going round the country to tell us what we should do to make Nigeria a great country. We had heard about what you are talking about our country and it is high time we take note of that.
“Our leaders should take note of what you are telling us on how to make our country prosperous. You are telling us how we have a large areas of land,young men who are capable,strong enough,educated enough to make Nigeria a great nation.
“Even now,whenever you visit another country and you told them you are from Nigeria. They will tell you Nigeria is a very rich country. And all these problems we are having in this country,other countries are experiencing it too but they kept quite about it.
“I want us to know that our country is a great country and we should be grateful to God and our leaders who have presided over this country”.
In his remark, Peter Obi, informed the Emir that his visit has nothing to do with politics but rather,how to provide solutions to Nigerian’s situation, pay his respect to the Emir and helping people out of their challenges.
According to him, ” I have been on the tour to the Norther part of the country since the commencement of Ramadan so that I can see how I could learn more and therefore, contribute in my own small way.
“And most importantly,I believe we can solved Nigeria’s problems through agriculture instead of relying on oil If we invest more on agriculture. I have the statistics at my hand to support this.
“The problem in the North,the criminality in the North has to do with poverty. There are so many millions of young people in their productive age who are doing nothing. We must move them from the poverty level.
“But we have all it’s takes to engage them. Nigeria has highest number of uncultivated land than any nation in the world.and unless we cultivate it,unless we move from consumption nation to production nation,we can’t move forward. We need to start producing and to produce,we need to start agriculture production”.
Obi insisted that investment in agriculture is the best solution to current Nigeria hardship stressed that about 80 million Nigerians are suffering from hunger.
“So, Federal Government should invest more on agriculture in the North. It will serve as a long way to solve our problems”.
He noted that,Kebbi State with large acres of uncultivated land,could do more than Belgium which are doing better in agriculture production.
“I will continue to preaches on how to solve Nigeria’s problems. I am not desperate to be Nigeria President. I am desperate to see Nigeria is united as a one country. I am desperate to ensure Nigerians are out of poverty. I am desperate to see a child of nobody becoming somebody. This is when I will be proud to say I am a Nigerian.
“We need to love each other, care for each other. That is what I am desperate to see”, he said.
Earlier Mr. Peter Obi also paid courtesy visit to Kebbi State Governor, Dr Nasir Idris at Government House, Birnin Kebbi where he informed him that there was need for Government to invest more in agriculture to solve the nation food insecurity, inflation and insecurity.
While responding,Governor Nasir Idris, represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG),Alhaji Yakubu Bala Tafida informed the former Presidential candidate of LP that his administration has purchased N2.9 billion bags of fertiliser which were distributed to farmers in the state to improve food production.
He also disclosed that his administration has purchased solar pumping water machined,which was given out to the farmers at a subsidized prices to enable them to improve their production among others.
Mr Obi and his team however drove to Hutawa fulani settlement,where he commissioned a bore hole he donated to the community due to water scarcity in the village.