Victor EzejaPresidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Mr Peter Obi, has called on Nigerian political leaders to draw lessons from the recent events in Kenya.
Obi said it is time that political leaders should start prioritising the needs of the suffering masses in the country and begin to make sacrifices for the common good.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelPrime Business Africa reports that Kenyans recently staged protests against activities in government that they considered a burden. After days of protest, President William Ruto was forced to withdraw the Finance Bill which contained clauses that imposed taxation on the citizens as a way of increasing revenue.
READ ALSO: Ruto Sets Up Independent Task Force To Audit Kenya’s Public Debt
Writing on his official X handle on Sunday, Obi applauded the manner in which Ruto responded to the agitations of the citizens saying Kenya’s President “demonstrated true leadership.”
“We, the Nigerian political leaders, should take a strong lesson from the recent Kenyan experience,” Obi stated.
“When the Kenyan public realised that their government was not making sufficient sacrifices and prioritising resources effectively, they spoke out, demanded change, expressed their dissatisfaction, and protested.
“In response, the President demonstrated true Leadership by listening to the people’s demands and acting accordingly, recognising that the government should be driven by the needs of the citizens, not by our own consumption agenda.”
Obi noted that the Kenyan government took several measures to reduce unnecessary expenditures and demonstrate fiscal responsibility, including canceling budgets for the First Lady and Second Lady’s offices, dissolving 47 state agencies, suspending nonessential travel for government workers, freezing the purchase of new cars for officials, and reducing the number of advisers by half.”
READ ALSO: President Ruto Removes Budgets For Offices Of First, Second Lady, Cuts Advisers By Half
The former Anambra State governor said that another notable instance of what Kenya’s President did to demonstrate transparency and accountability in his government was the way he responded when accused of squandering the country’s money on chartering a plane to America when he had the option to cut costs. “Instead of dismissing the concerns, he responded transparently and addressed the issue,” Obi added.
He stressed that acknowledgment of the people’s demands “exemplifies responsive governance.”
The LP presidential standard bearer pointed out that such is not the case with Nigerian political leaders, who according to him, arrogantly ignore the genuine grievances of the suffering citizens. “Instead of addressing legitimate concerns, and being accountable to the people, we resort to using public funds to pay media thugs to insult and abuse those who speak truth to power.”
He cautioned that the Nigerian leaders must abandon such “detrimental habits,” and start making sacrifices for the greater good of the suffering masses.
“True change and progress will require leaders who are sincere, willing to listen, act responsibly, and prioritise the welfare of the people over personal or political interests. If we make the necessary changes and make the needed sacrifices, a new Nigeria is possible,” Obi added.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
