In a recent visit to the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Onitsha, former Anambra State Governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, expressed a strong sentiment that Nigerians are effectively prisoners in a nation plagued by governance failures.
Addressing a congregation during a Thanksgiving Church Service marking the end of 2023, Obi highlighted the pressing challenges of insecurity, widespread poverty, unemployment, corruption, and abuse of office as factors holding citizens captive.
During the visit, Obi commended the efforts of the Controller of Nigerian Correctional Service, Anambra State Command, in managing the correctional facility. However, he voiced deep concern about the large number of youths in their productive years confined to correctional centers, emphasizing that their unproductivity is a reflection of leadership failures in the country.
Obi reminded the inmates that, regardless of their mistakes, there is still a promising future ahead if they trust in God, work hard, and become law-abiding citizens. He attributed the overcrowded correctional facilities to the accumulated failures of leadership in the nation, stating that a well-functioning society would not have such a substantial youth population behind bars.
Calling for a paradigm shift in leadership, Obi urged political leaders to embrace sacrificial leadership to build a progressive and secure nation. He stressed the importance of engaging the youth productively for the benefit of society and concluded with a call to action, envisioning the realization of the “New Nigeria” of their dreams.
