Former Governor of Anambra State and Presidential Candidate of Labour Party in 2023, Mr Peter Obi has said Nigeria’s system is so poorly skewed that people’s intellectual capacity and talents do not match with opportunities available.
Obi stated this when he visited the Francis Cardinal Arinze Secondary School in Nkwelle Ezunaka in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The presidential hopeful was addressing students on the need to take their education seriously as it hold the key to their future, when a female student, Miss Ifechukwu Blessing Boniface asked a question about how meritocracy is slaughtered on the alter of favouritism.
Miss Boniface had asked: “How can one navigate a society where most times 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 such a 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, where people’s talent and opportunities can 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, stating 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 seem 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.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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