Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has said since Nigerian politicians took over from colonial masters, they have only contributed wickedness.
Peter Obi said most of the resources managed and maintained by the colonial resources were left to waste. He said he often doubted the essence of independence and how things were allowed to be wasted.
The former governor of Anambra State, in an interview with Why Not Afrika, while speaking on the economic opportunities in that Onitsha area of River Niger.
Obi recalled that the Onitsha area of River Niger used to be a beehive of economic activities. He explained that the colonial masters built so many resources in the area that generated revenue for the country, but all were left to ruin by the Nigerian leaders.
He noted that the River Niger, if harnessed like the River Nile of Egypt, can help the entire logistics system of the country. He regretted that every wealth created out of River Niger was left to waste.
“It is wasted resource. If you check the contribution of Nile to Egypt and you ask yourself what is the contribution of River Niger to Nigeria. So if two people have similar resources but one of them is yielding something and another is not.
“Since colonial masters left, everything they built was allowed to destroy, because nobody cares about the society, nobody cares about the people. There are so many resources we have that they have never cared about.
“You won’t know the amount of waste in this country. This alone if properly utilized can help the entire logistics system. All transportation for farm products used to go through this facility.
“They were all built by the colonial master. Since they left, it has been a waste. That is why I ask the question the essence of independence because the black man has not contributed anything except wickedness,” Obi said.
