Former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has said Nigeria’s past tragedies, including the 1966 coups and the Civil War, should be used as lessons for national transformation rather than tools for division.
Obi made the remarks in a statement while responding to concerns from some Nigerians who were unhappy that an Arise News anchor questioned him about the 1966 coups during a recent interview.
The former governor said he was not afraid to discuss difficult chapters of Nigeria’s history, stressing that as a presidential candidate, he was prepared to answer questions on issues concerning the country.
According to him, his commitment is to serve Nigerians and not to avoid difficult conversations.
Obi argued that many of the tragedies Nigeria has experienced could have been prevented if laws had been properly entrenched and fairly implemented, blaming leadership failure for the inability to guarantee equal rights and freedoms for citizens.
He said Nigeria must learn from its past and transform painful historical experiences into opportunities for development.
Drawing comparisons with Japan, South Korea and China, Obi said those countries were able to use difficult historical experiences to develop policies that contributed to their economic transformation.
He also cited Rwanda as an African example of a country seeking to turn the trauma of its past into greater national unity and prosperity.
Obi said Nigeria could adopt a similar approach by focusing on what unites its people rather than exploiting ethnic, religious and regional differences.
He stressed that every part of Nigeria possesses human and natural resources capable of driving productivity and prosperity if properly harnessed.
The former presidential candidate further promised that, if given the opportunity to lead the country, he would work towards building a Nigeria where citizens would not suffer discrimination because of their ethnicity, religion or social background.
“Our past is important, but our past is not our destiny. Our future is what we do with our past,” Obi said.
He concluded by reaffirming his belief in the possibility of building a transformed Nigeria, declaring: “A New Nigeria is POssible.”
