After reading Peter Obi’s thoughtful New Year’s Day statement, Felix Morka, the National Publicity Secretary of the ruling APC, accused him of being an extreme pessimist and doomsayer who “has crossed the line of truth so many times” and “deserves whatever comes his way”.

Like many other onlookers, I am appalled by the obvious threat, deeply puzzled by Morka’s allegation and wondering what Obi said that was false.

It is Morka – a gaslighter and propagandist extraordinaire – who has problems with truth and I challenge him to properly explain his reasons for dismissing Obi’s honest observations and well-intentioned advice. 

Here are excerpts from Obi commonsense-filled statement:

“The political, economic and security situation of our country is worsening daily, despite contrary claims by the government of improvement in different spheres of human endeavour…Our national indices tell a disconcerting story.

•Nigeria remains one of the poverty capitals of the world, with over 100 million people living in extreme poverty and more than 150 million in multidimensional poverty. The situation has deteriorated significantly over the past 18 months under the current administration.    

•Nigeria remains one of the most insecure and least peaceful nations in the world, with countless communities and families displaced from their homes and now living in IDP camps. According to the Global Peace Index, GPI, Nigeria ranks 143rd out of 163 countries in terms of peacefulness – an indication of a high level of distress.

•Food insecurity has become our new national norm, making Nigeria one of the hungriest countries in the world. Gainfully employed and middle-income Nigerians now spend nearly their entire incomes on feeding, with some even resorting to borrowing just to eat. For those living on the margins – low-income earners and the unemployed – the situation is even more dire. The newly approved minimum wage of N70,000 cannot afford a bag of rice or even half a bag of beans. As a result, many Nigerians go to bed hungry, while a significant number now rely on palliatives and charitable support. Tragically, this has recently led to several avoidable deaths.    

•We have earned the dubious distinction of being one of the countries with the largest number of people without access to electricity. In 2024, despite abysmal and unacceptable power generation and distribution, the frequency of National Grid collapse increased significantly, with the Grid failing 12 times in 12 months.    

•Corruption, official malfeasance, fiscal profligacy, and the mismanagement of public resources continue to rise astronomically in our country, spreading across all spheres of government. Similarly, nepotism and disregard for the Constitution, the rule of law, and due process have become the norm.

•Our national debt has risen astronomically, from approximately N15 trillion in 2015 to N100 trillion today. This sharp increase has occurred within the past 18 months under the current administration.    

•Inflation remains at an all-time high, businesses are collapsing, and manufacturing companies are barely surviving, further contributing to the already high unemployment rate.

•We hold periodic elections that are no longer genuine. Our electoral processes are visibly flawed, lacking transparency and credibility.    

Peter Obi

Suggestions on the way forward

From all indications, Nigeria urgently needs selfless and exemplary leadership across the three arms and tiers of government. However, this much-needed exemplary leadership must begin at the very top. Since the ultimate responsibility lies with Mr. President, I will direct my attention to him.

Mr. President, present-day Nigeria aligns closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s powerful words: “We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive actions.”  …It is time to confront our national problems boldly, decisively, and with a sense of urgency. My suggestions are as follows:

Commence a visible and verifiable reduction in the cost of governance to allocate much-needed resources to critical areas of development, such as security, health, education, and poverty alleviation.

Aggressive and visible attention should be given to combating corruption. The focus should be on eliminating current and future official malfeasance through increased transparency and accountability in public procurement and contract award and execution processes.

All future borrowing must be tied to regenerative investments and visible, productive assets that benefit the nation…rather than continuing the current practice of accumulating massive debt with no tangible returns.

Mr. President, out of the approximately 580 days you have been in office, it is reported that you have spent over 30%, or around 180 days, on more than 30 publicly recorded overseas trips. My appeal is that you dedicate at least 20% of 2025 – roughly 72 days – to visit each of Nigeria’s 36 states for two days each. As President, such visits would give you the opportunity to better understand the dire economic and security situations across the country.

Furthermore, it is time for you to visit our national hospitals (and undergo a medical check up in one of them). This will allow you to assess the state of healthcare facilities… and make informed decisions on how to upgrade them.

Endeavour to travel by road to observe the condition of most highways.    

Make both impromptu and planned visits to our tertiary institutions…I recall President Shagari visiting the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, when I was a student there and telling us, ‘I have seen the facilities myself, and I assure you of my intervention.’ Facilities improved significantly thereafter.

As Commander-in-Chief, visit our military formations and security agencies, especially during their field operations, and provide them with morale-boosting assurances and support for operational efficiency. Reiterate that they and their families will always be taken care of.

Visit various IDP camps and assure these Nigerians that they will soon return to their communities, and that you are working hard to restore peace.

As President, you are no longer the Governor of Lagos State; therefore, consider spending your holidays in different parts of the country.    

The single most challenging test you face is ensuring that future elections are credible and truly reflect the will of the people.

Finally, Mr. President, Nigerians need to hear directly from you, not through your proxies. Quarterly updates on what you are doing to improve the situation in Nigeria are crucial.”