Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared that Nigerians have no reason to be living in poverty, considering the nation’s vast natural and human resources.

Obasanjo, who spoke in Umuahia, Abia state, lamented the persistent mismanagement of resources in the country.

“Nigerians have no business with poverty because God has given us all that we need,” Obasanjo said. “If we are mismanaging what God has given us, we do not have God to blame, we have ourselves to blame.”

The former president, while commending Governor Alex Otti for the developmental strides being recorded in Abia, said the governor’s performance had continued to attract public admiration. He lauded Otti’s efforts at repositioning the state and urged him not to relent.

Obasanjo, who emphasised the importance of effective leadership, noted that if Nigeria had 18 governors performing exceptionally well, the country would witness tremendous growth.

“For me, whether you don’t greet me or I greet you and you don’t answer, what is important to me is that the people of this country are getting what they deserve – and what they deserve is good governance,” he said.

He also recounted his experience with the former Minister of Transport, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, during his tenure, noting how he had to advise Amaechi on an existing national railway development plan.

“You didn’t know that we had a national plan for railway for this country – to reach every state capital as we have them now – and I told you to go into the archives, it is there,” he recalled.

Obasanjo, however, acknowledged Amaechi’s efforts in office, saying, “As Minister of Transport, you got a bit of it right, you got a bit of it wrong.”

In his remarks, Governor Otti expressed gratitude for Obasanjo’s support, stressing the importance of vision and perseverance in leadership. He recounted how it took him ten years and two stolen electoral victories before eventually assuming office.

“Once you have vision, you have to keep to it. The two elections we contested from 2015 to 2019, we won clearly but they were all stolen. A lot of people had given up hope and said it wasn’t going to work, but I was sure that I heard clearly from God,” Otti said.

He disclosed that his administration had embarked on sweeping reforms in the education sector to improve access to quality learning across the state.

Also speaking at the event, Amaechi urged political stakeholders in Abia to begin mobilising early ahead of the 2027 general elections. He warned that the value of quality leadership is often recognised only after experiencing poor governance.

He noted, “In your case, no matter who becomes president, you have always stood out,” referring to Obasanjo’s legacy. He maintained that Abians must rally behind leaders like Governor Otti to sustain progress.

“APC and other parties are already mobilising. If we don’t prepare now, we may lose out completely. We must not only protect what we have but also ensure that we come back in 2028 to celebrate true democratic success,” Amaechi added.

In separate goodwill messages, the member representing Isiala Ngwa North and South Federal Constituency, Chief Ginger Onwusibe, and the acting National Secretary of the Labour Party, Senator Darlington Nwokocha, expressed delight in Abia’s transformation under Otti.

They thanked Obasanjo for his consistent support for the administration and applauded the governor’s commitment to equitable development across the state’s 17 local government areas.

— NAN