Vice Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in the 2019 general elections and former Anambra State governor, Mr. Peter Obi, has stated that Nigeria needs wealth creators as leaders, if the country desired any integrated economic growth.
Obi explained that Nigeria currently operates what can be described as a ‘consumption economy’ that encourages states, bodies and agencies to always depend on the Federal Government for revenue allocation.
Obi made this call while speaking at an event to mark Anaedoonline’s 2nd Anniversary lecture. He said that if wealth creators were elected into political leadership positions at all levels of government, different sectors of the economy would come alive with sustainable growth and development.
Obi lamented the culture of wealth consumption that had eaten deep into the nation. He said that the total dependence on oil revenues had done more harm than good to Nigeria. He said that it was the over dependence on oil that had stagnated other non-oil sectors of the economy because people always hoped to share and consume oil proceeds. He stated that crash in oil prices, which was caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, should have “taught us a lesson as a people that total dependence on oil will not save us.”