By Kamil Opeyemi
Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections says Chinua Achebe, the celebrated writer of ‘Things Fall Apart’ would weep bitterly today if he came back to observe how his dear country had deteriorated after 40 years of his warning for positive change.
Obi, who is the former governor of Anambra , made this known in a statement in Lagos on Saturday.
The presidential candidate while addressing the audience at the 10th Anniversary Memorial Celebration organised by The Chinua Achebe Foundation, said that leaders in Africa’s biggest economy must be committed to the rule of law.
He said Achebe was prophetic in his assessment of Nigeria, noting that “he was very right about leadership being the issue”.
Obi said Achebe wrote the book, “The Trouble With Nigeria”, saying that if Achebe was alive, he would have taken back the book when he wrote it, ‘There was no trouble, now, there is real trouble in Nigeria.”
The presidential candidate said Achebe was spot on in identifying Nigeria’s troubles as leadership-induced.
“Even though our great father, Achebe, would weep at the realities today, he was very right about leadership being the issue.
“Our country has been bedevilled by corruption. Stealing public money has left us where we are today.
“The trouble with Nigeria is self-inflicted. If Achebe was alive, he would have taken back the book.
“When he wrote it, there was no trouble. Now, there is real trouble in Nigeria. Rascality has become a measure of success in Nigeria. That must change.”
According to him, the Nigerian problem is the unwillingness of its leaders to rise to the responsibility, of the challenge of personal example which are the hallmarks of true leadership
He said that Nigeria is bedevilled by corruption, adding that eliminating corruption is “very easy”.
“We can start thinking of a new Nigeria with competence, and capacity that is committed to fighting corruption. Is it possible to fight corruption? The answer is yes!
“People say that fighting corruption is not easy but it is very easy. If you are in charge and you are not stealing, your wife is not stealing, your children are not stealing.
“Also, those working with you will not have any reason to steal and you must have reduced corruption by over 50 per cent.”
He described Achebe as a man whose works defined him as one imbued with communal awareness to put in great efforts to better the society.