February 25 presidential election: Why I’ll discuss with every agitator -Peter Obi

.Says fuel subsidy an ‘organised crime,’ vows to remove it

. ‘If South Africa declared ‘Power Emergency’, we will declare war’

By Benjamin Omoike

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi has explained why he will discuss with all agitators in the country if he is elected in the February 25 presidential election.

He listed the reasons during The Peoples Townhall, a live event organised by Channels Television and its partners on Sunday.

He said: “We are in a democratic dispensation; you govern by discussing, you govern by consensus. So, I will sit down and discuss with every agitator without exception of name. We must use carrot and stick (approach).

“I will discuss with those who want to discuss. You have to look at what is causing agitations today; it is issues of injustice, issues of where there is no fairness, issues to do with poverty, unemployment.

“When you start to address these issues and you engage them in discussions and you start bringing them to the table, no agitator anywhere in the world will see reason that things are going the way they ought to and will continue to agitate because they are agitating for something.”

Insisting that discussion is the best way to end agitations, the former Anambra State governor said that no agitator anywhere in the world will continue to agitate when they see that things are working the way they should or when they are given cogent reasons why certain decisions are being taken by the government.

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The LP flag bearer maintained that agitation is not out of place in any democracy, arguing that even at home, children agitate, but when their parents sit them down and explain things to them, they see reason and eventually agree with them.

He said that Nigeria will continue to be in crisis if the government continues in what he described as injustice, unfairness, poverty, unemployment and young people not knowing where the next meal will come from.

The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate also has promised that if elected in next month’s polls, he will see to it that subsidy is removed as planned by the incumbent administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Payment of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government is scheduled to end by June 30 this year.

“They have removed it. That’s what they’ve done,” he said during a live appearance on Channels Television’s The People’s Townhall in Abuja on Sunday. “But I can assure you, it will go immediately. Subsidy – I’ve said it before – is organised crime and I will not allow it to stay a day longer.”

“What they’re telling you is not what it is. Half of what is being mentioned is not subsidy. First is that we consume the quantity that is not supposed to be consumed here. We are the same population with Pakistan. They consume below 50 percent of what we consume.

“So, the first half, I will remove it and give those people who are drinking it water – because that’s what they’re supposed to drink – so we can save the money.”

Obi further noted that, at present, Nigeria is burdened with debts. According to him, Nigeria needs the money to be able to invest in critical social development issues.

“Look at this year’s budget: education, which is the highest since this government came, is about N2 trillion. Health, which is the highest since this government came, is about N1.5 trillion. Then infrastructure, which is roads and everything, is about N1 trillion.

“These three critical development areas are receiving N4.5 trillion. Subsidy is N3.6 trillion – half year. So, if it’s a full year, it’s about N7 trillion. Which country will invest more in subsidy than education and health and even roads? It doesn’t make sense,” he said.

The former Anambra State governor promised to copy what was done in South Africa and Egypt to tackle the issue of power generation and distribution in Nigeria.

Recall that Obi had last year travelled to Egypt admittedly to understudy how the North African country solved its power problems in a very short period.

He said: “We have to open up like South Africa has done. They have power issues like us, even [though] they are 60 million and they are generating almost 40-something-thousand, they declared [a state of] emergency and said anybody can generate up to 100,000 megawatts without licence.

“If somebody who is 60 million (sic) generating almost 50,000 declared [an] emergency, we declare war here on power. If it will consume everybody, it will consume us, but we will get power.

“Egypt did the same thing. Egypt had about 20,000. One of their studies showed that power is a critical issue. Today, Egypt is generating almost 50,000. In fact, Egypt is exporting power to Europe. If these things can be done around us – South Africa and Egypt – why not Nigeria?”

The Labour Party flag bearer said if elected president in February, his administration will generate and distribute no less than 20,000 megawatts within four years in office. He, however, said he would try to exceed the target.

Vowing not to fail like past governments, Obi promised to show Nigerians what they have never seen before, saying that his administration would usher in a generational change.