Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has responded sharply to comments made by former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, during a lecture at Johns Hopkins University. Obi had criticized the Nigerian government and lamented increasing poverty levels in the country.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, in a detailed statement, expressed disappointment in Mr. Obi’s remarks, accusing him of portraying Nigeria negatively on the international stage. According to Sanwo-Olu, while it is acceptable to criticize the government, prominent Nigerians have a patriotic duty to promote Nigeria positively abroad.
“I find Mr. Obi’s pattern of behaviour disturbing,” Sanwo-Olu said. “True patriotism demands that we market Nigeria globally rather than de-market her.”
Focusing on Obi’s claims about poverty, Sanwo-Olu questioned Obi’s record during his tenure as Anambra State governor. He pointed out that despite serving two terms, Obi did not build a single stand-alone hospital or school, nor did he sustainably provide credit facilities to businesses.
In contrast, Sanwo-Olu praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, highlighting that Tinubu, as Lagos State Governor and now as Nigeria’s President, has overseen the construction of over 200 schools, initiated a major student loan program benefiting over 200,000 undergraduates, and provided more than half a billion dollars in credit to small and medium-scale enterprises.
Sanwo-Olu cited statistics to support his argument, noting that while Peter Obi was in office, Anambra’s poverty rate increased from 41.4% to 53.7%. In contrast, Tinubu’s tenure as Lagos Governor saw a 46% reduction in poverty levels.
“After Peter Obi left office, his successor, Willie Obiano, managed to reduce Anambra’s poverty rate dramatically to 14.8%,” Sanwo-Olu stated. “This raises serious questions about Mr. Obi’s capacity to criticize government policies on poverty reduction.”
The Lagos governor concluded by asserting that Mr. Obi contributed to the rise in poverty during his time in office, while President Tinubu’s leadership has consistently demonstrated a capacity to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty.
“Given these facts, who should really be criticizing whom?” Sanwo-Olu asked rhetorically.