"Nigeria is a criminalized place, to be honest is to be a criminal" – Peter Obi
Former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, has said Nigeria would have accumulated substantial wealth if successive administrations had protected public funds and allowed them to generate interest in banks.
Obi made the statement during a radio interview in Nasarawa State on Wednesday, where he discussed public finance management, accountability and his record as governor.
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, or the 2027 election said, prudent management of government funds could have significantly improved the country’s financial position.
“I wish everybody in this country left money in the bank; they have interest. Nigeria would have been so rich that we don’t know what to do with money,” he said.
The former governor disclosed that his administration kept public funds in three different banks, describing the move as part of its approach to managing state resources.
Obi also criticized what he described as a culture in which people who act honestly are targeted, while those involved in wrongdoing protect one another.
“Nigeria is a criminalised place. The criminals will always come together to show what the honest person did,” he said.
He added, “In Nigeria, to be honest is to be a criminal. To be criminal is to be honest.”
On the publicity given to government projects, Obi said his administration did not prioritise ceremonies and television appearances to showcase its achievements because the projects were funded with public money.
“We did what we were doing with public money, so the public already see us working, so why are we going to do the ceremony or showing it on TV? Maybe I was wrong, but that was what happened,” he said.
Obi also defended his administration’s record in basic education, insisting that Anambra recorded notable achievements in the sector during his tenure.
“I was the best in education, basic education as a governor. You can go and check the records,” he said.
To support his claim, he cited a visit by Oxford University professor Paul Collier, whom he said assessed educational developments across several states and witnessed improvements in Anambra.
The former governor maintained that prudent management of public resources and investment in education were essential to Nigeria’s development.
“Nigeria is a criminalized place, to be honest is to be a criminal” – Peter Obi