Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has said Nigeria would be far wealthier if public office holders left government funds in banks to earn interest rather than mismanaging them.
Obi, the Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate for the 2027 elections, made the remarks on Wednesday during a radio interview in Nasarawa State. He spoke about public spending, accountability and his record on basic education.
“I wish everybody in this country left money in the bank; they have interest. Nigeria would have been so rich that we don’t know what to do with money,” he said. He added that the country would have accumulated far greater wealth if leaders had consistently protected public funds instead of diverting them.
Obi said funds under his administration were kept in three different banks as an example of prudent management. He also criticised what he described as a culture of dishonesty in Nigeria, saying criminals often unite to discredit honest people.
“Nigeria is a criminalised place. The criminals will always come together to show what the honest person did,” he said. “In Nigeria, to be honest is to be a criminal. To be criminal is to be honest.”
On public engagements during his tenure, Obi said he avoided ceremonies and television shows for government projects because they were funded with public money and the results were already visible to citizens. “We did what we were doing with public money, so the public already see us working, so why are we going to do the ceremony or showing it on TV? Maybe I was wrong, but that was what happened,” he said.
He also defended his education record, stating: “I was the best in education, basic education as a governor. You can go and check the records.” Obi said Professor Paul Collier of the University of Oxford visited several states to assess education developments and saw significant improvements in Anambra. He maintained that education remains a key measure of development and that his administration’s performance showed the impact of responsible leadership.
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