Obi: Nigeria’s System Skewed, Talents Don’t Match Opportunities

Former Anambra State Governor, Mr Peter Obi, flanked by the senior prefect and assistant senior prefect of Francis Cardinal Arinze Secondary School, Nkwelle Ezunaka, as he makes a speech, during a visit to donate to the school for educational improvement.

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

Former Governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election, Mr Peter Obi, has said Nigeria’s system is so poorly skewed that people’s intellectual capacity and talents do not match the opportunities available.

Obi stated this when he visited Francis Cardinal Arinze Secondary School in Nkwelle Ezunaka in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State, where he made a donation of N10 million to support the school’s development.

The presidential hopeful was addressing the students on the need to take their education seriously as it holds the key to their future, when a female student, Miss Ifechukwu Blessing Boniface, asked a question, stating that most times, meritocracy is slaughtered on the alter of favouritism while searching for job.

Miss Boniface had asked: “How can one navigate in a society where most time the people who are qualified for certain jobs are not given the job, instead, people who have big men to speak for them now get the job?”

The student had contended that the such scenario demoralizes people who work hard in their education and discourages students.

In his answer to her, Obi said: “My dear, the education you are receiving here today makes you job creators and not job seekers.

“It is unfortunate that the system we have in Nigeria is also not supporting people with intellectual capacity. Here, people’s talents and opportunities don’t match.

“But I can tell you that I have never worked for anyone all my life. I have achieved everything I have today because I was educated. I was once a governor, bank chairman and the youngest then, and today I want to be president.

“If you take your education seriously, you will become someone who people like me will come to your office for one thing or the other. I concentrated on my education.”

Obi insisted that the future belonged to people who are educated, adding that today, ideas are valued far over property and other material acquisitions.

He said: “I went to primary and secondary school in Onitsha and there was no university in Onitsha then, else I would have attended, so I had to go to University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

“Education can do a lot for you people. Nigeria seems not to be progressing because many people are not educated, people believe in magic and money, but what you are doing here is very important and that is because you are acquiring education.

“The world is changing and becoming a knowledge place and not where people who have property pride themselves as the best. The richest people in the world today are those who have knowledge.

“I will keep supporting any effort in developing education. Education is everything. The more a society is developed, the better that society is. That is why I came here to donate to your school today.”