The former World Bank Vice President African Region, Oby Ezekwesili, has endorsed the candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, for the 2027 presidential election.
Penpushing reports that Ezekwesili cited the former Anambra State governor’s leadership qualities and competence, while speaking during a television interview and equally criticise Nigeria’s political class for failing to address what she described as the country’s deep structural problems.
The former Minister of Education pointed out that Nigeria needs a new social contract built around shared national values, a common vision and leadership anchored on character, competence and capacity.
Penpushing further reports that she emphasized that the country’s problems cannot be solved by merely changing political office holders without addressing the underlying weaknesses in its political and governance systems.
The known frankly speaking woman described Nigeria’s current condition as a “hollowing out” of the state and a decline in human dignity, stressing that Nigerians must reject the idea that the country’s current condition is their permanent destiny and demand better political leadership.
Penpushing also reports that Ezekwesili said the country needs a serious national conversation about its identity, values and direction, arguing that the absence of a shared national vision has weakened social cohesion and made it difficult for Nigerians to agree on the kind of country they want to build.
The advocate for transparency stated that political leaders must be judged by their ability to make sound public decisions and deliver outcomes that improve the lives of citizens, citing the experience of countries such as Singapore to illustrate the impact that quality leadership and public decision-making can have on development.
Penpushing reports that she said even incremental improvements in the quality of political decisions could have significant consequences for Nigeria’s development, including its income per capita.
The co-founder and founding Director of Transparency International, equally stressed the importance of character, competence and capacity in choosing people for public office and urged more Nigerians who possess these qualities to seek elective positions at the local, state and federal levels.
Penpushing further reports that Ezekwesili in same vein linked Nigeria’s security crisis to broader weaknesses in the country’s political structure, pointing out that restructuring should be addressed as part of the effort to tackle insecurity and other governance challenges.
The advocate for accountability, stated that Nigeria’s highly centralised system has made it difficult to achieve effective governance and respond adequately to problems that require solutions at different levels.
Penpushing also reports that she said the country needs a political arrangement that allows government to make better decisions closer to the people, as she recounted her experience working on public sector reforms and Nigeria’s efforts to secure debt relief.
The Nigerian economic policy expert said she worked with economist Jeffrey Sachs and officials of the United States of America (USA) government during the campaign for debt reduction, explaining that the effort faced opposition within the America Congress and Treasury, underscoring the difficulty of securing international support for Nigeria’s debt relief programme.
Penpushing reports that Ezekwesili said debt relief was important because it could create fiscal space for Nigeria to invest in areas such as healthcare, education and poverty reduction, adding that her reform efforts were also aimed at demonstrating that Nigeria could achieve better outcomes by using public resources more effectively.
The advocate for good governance acknowledged the difficulty of sustaining reform gains once political leadership changes, and on the prospects of political change ahead of the 2027 elections, acknowledged the realities of incumbency and political power.
Penpushing further reports that Ezekwesili nevertheless argued that a strong desire for change among Nigerians could overcome those obstacles, adding that political change would require more than electoral enthusiasm, and itwould also require organisation, strategic planning and the building of a broad nationwide electoral coalition.
The humanitarian and an activist said Nigeria’s economic difficulties also make it harder for citizens to prioritise long-term political and development goals when they are dealing with immediate material pressures.
Penpushing also reports that she argued that this tension between immediate economic needs and the pursuit of long-term national transformation must be confronted by anyone seeking political power.
The Chief Executive Officer of Human Capital Africa also criticised what she described as the failure of parts of Nigeria’s middle class to invest sufficiently in the country’s future, pointing to the growing tendency of families to send their children abroad.
Penpushing reports that she said meaningful reform would require Nigerians to accept the costs of necessary changes while creating greater opportunities for social and economic mobility, noting that the central challenge remains the quality of leadership and public decision-making.
The Anambra State born said Nigeria needs leaders with character, competence and capacity who can make decisions in the public interest and translate those decisions into measurable improvements in citizens’ lives.
FOOTNOTE: You want to share story with us? You want to advertise with us? You need publicity for product, or service, or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348073463653 or email penpushing@yahoo.com
