My Most Investment was in Education, Peter Obi Replies Soludo

The Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, during an interview, aired his opinion about the investment portfolio of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi. He made the statement when asked about government investment outside the public sector with reference to Obi as a former governor. 

According to him, the supposed investment Peter Obi left in the state is worth next to nothing. He said, “I don’t know about the investment. Our interview is about the 2023 budget. I’m not talking about the investments of any of my predecessors. By the way, I don’t know about the one you discussed.

There was something I read about somebody speculating about whatever investment. With what I’ve seen today, the value of those investments is worth next to nothing.”

In response to the claim made by the Anambra governor, Chukwuma Soludo, Peter Obi, the ex-governor of Anambra and the presidential candidate of the Labour party, said he invested in education, which is the most critical legacy anybody can leave. During his tenure, he invested $12,616,356.43 (N1,955,535,247.00 — then N155.00/$1).

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To the accusation of leaving too much money in the state’s coffer when there were things to be done, Peter Obi said, “Development has a pattern and time. As a governor, there was no planning in the state when I started. I set up the ministry of planning.

With that, I built a ten-lane with up to six roundabouts in Onitsha. In the mall, where there was the biggest congestion, I worked with the federal government to build a flyover there. What is critical for me is that rather than spend the state’s limited resources, I try to look for the federal government, development partners and assistance in other areas.

What we did in terms of the money we left, if you are operating with a depreciating asset, you must save for the future. For example, the foreign component of the savings in Anambra state is about $170 million, which is about N40 billion. Which state in Nigeria can say they have up to that amount?”

Peter Obi’s stance on education

In celebration of the 2022 International Day of Education, Peter Obi, during his message, advised all the educational parastatals in Nigeria to see investment in education as a veritable tool against poverty, insecurity and other societal ills in the country. It is also a tool for the country’s socio-economic, political, scientific and technological advancement.

He, therefore, admonished Nigerian students to take their education seriously as it is the only resource needed to attain personal and societal greatness.

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