Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has said the government should be worried about the negative image of Nigeria among comity of nations.
Naijaonpoint reports that Obi said the statement from United Kingdom Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, on the country’s poor governance should serve as a wake-up call for all citizens and the government to get it right.
In a statement on Tuesday titled ‘What should we make of all the negative remarks about Nigeria?’, the former presidential candidate condemned the attacks on Badenoch for speaking truth to power.
“Recently, Nigerian-born Kemi Badenoch, a leader in the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party, took a serious swipe at our dear country.
“She stated that she would not want Britain to become like poor Nigeria, where a failed government destroys lives.
“Nigerians have had mixed reactions to her comments—some have criticized her, while others feel she simply stated the obvious and should not be vilified.
“A few years ago, a respected Nigerian newspaper lamented an informational piece aimed at Americans intending to visit Nigeria, which described the country in very unflattering terms.
“The travel advisory highlighted two major challenges: poor infrastructure and insecurity.
“Anyone familiar with the Nigerian landscape knows that our performance in these two areas is horrendously low. And sadly, the US embassy did not shy away from pointing this out.
“On health, the advisory confirmed that while Nigeria has well-trained health professionals, the country is lacking in quality healthcare facilities.
“It was noted that essential medications, including those for diabetes and hypertension, are often unavailable, and that medicine should be purchased with extreme caution due to counterfeit risks.
“Five years after those remarks, the situation remains largely unchanged, if not worse. International reproach, such as that from Badenoch, and negative reviews on official websites warning citizens of the country, should serve as a challenge for us to do better. It’s not enough to resort to blind patriotism by vilifying those who point out our shortcomings,” he said.
The former governor of Anambra State warned that unless the government addressed challenges to development, it may not attract foreign investors into the country.
“Instead, we should use these criticisms as a catalyst to prioritize critical areas of development and improve the lives of our people.
“When negative remarks are featured on a country’s official websites, warning citizens to avoid certain risks, how can we expect to attract investors? These painful rebukes, including those coming from our own, should push us to strive for a new Nigeria,” he added.