By Uzo Ugwunze
The renown Political economist and strong adherent of Obedient Movement, Prof Pat Utomi has asserted that a new Nigeria is not only possible but inevitable.
He made the assertion during the South East Good Governance Symposium organized by the Obedient Movement at the All Saints Cathedral Auditorium, Onitsha.
Pat Utomi who joined the event virtually from United States said that the New Nigeria is not only possible but inevitable.
“Obedient Movement came together because people were fed up with the situation of things in the country. We must plan and work for us to get to where we are going.
“The new tribe is a value based movement. Values shapes the society. We want to drive a new consciousness to generate a people or youths who understand that the way we are going we lead us to nowhere until we esteem values, selfishness more than materialism. Service is about sacrifice. We must move from consumption to production.
In his address, the National Coordinator Obedient Movement Globally, Dr Tanko Yunasa stated:” We will advocate for electoral reforms. We will tackle it both legally and physically. We will move our people both on the road, courts and in the national assembly. The issue of voters results will be done instantly from the polling unit and Electronic voting will be approved. We will also champion the issue of diaspora voting”.
“We are saying that the selection of the INEC Chairman must be done publicly, three persons who the president does not know will be nominated and one person who is best qualified will be selected independent of the Presidential leadership, not someone who will be manipulated or controlled from behind”.
“Change is when we move from consumption to production. It is in the South East that we can find the intellectual capacity that can move this country forward. With the technical knowledge of the people from the South East, Nigeria can become an industrial or producing nation.
“I declared my support for a South East president 4 years ago even before the emergence of Mr Peter Obi as a presidential aspirant. Since after the civil war no South Easterner have been given opportunity to lead this country. If you believe in Nigeria and want to get Nigeria out of Poverty, put all roads in order. you need Mr. Peter Gregory Obi.
“Mr Peter Gregory Obi is a combination of Nnamdi Azikiwe Zik of Africa, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and Obafemi Awolowo, who once represented the unity of Nigeria. Together we can change this country where people can not only have food to eat but become the country we all can be proud of. So, Eat, drive, think, talk, dress, move, Peter Obi.
Moreover, the Chairman of the event,Prof. Chinyere Okunna urged the people to keep the ideology of the Obedient Movement flying for everyone to see, understand and cue in.”The Obedient Movement must build on visibility for more acceptance. We have a good leader, young and vibrant, Peter Obi is grassroot oriented, accessible, humane, selfless. Let’s go out there and work, work,work , go out there and create visibility so that all we are doing will not wane.
According to the DG Big tent Nigeria, Ibrahim H. Abdulkarim, the importance of this gathering is that we want to know how you love your own so that we from the Northern Nigeria can love him the same way. We have searched everywhere we have not seen anyone like Peter Obi. What Peter Obi is looking for is how competent you can administer what you say you can do. Obi is a workaholic who will fall sick if he stops working. The Presidential villa is not a rest home for old people. It should be for young people ready to work for a new Nigeria.
Moreso, the Chairman Coordinating the Obedient Movement South East Symposium, Maazi Tochukwu Ezeoke noted that the movement is ready to support only candidates who believe in the ideology of the Obedient Movement irrespective of the candidates’ political party.
“At the state level, I reaffirm that the Obedient Movement can only support candidates which identifies with the movement philosophically, candidates that they know that this is our own, a candidate that they can hold responsible not one that can only speak grammar after election is won. Especially in the South East, that person could be from any political party but what we must do is that we will not support any candidate who the movement considers as not obedient,” said Ezeoke.
Hon John Nwosu a guber aspirant for Anambra 2025 under Labour party, said that the story of Obedient is all about Peter Obi. We must make sure Peter Obi captures his own state. I have 7- points agenda which include Security, health, economy, Education, Agriculture, environment, and social welfare. We need STEM education, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics”.
Ben Chuka quipped “We have done well, we have just started to do better. Peter Obi won the 2023 election, he will win it again and this time we shall win and take power come 2027”.
Dr. Oseloka Obaze said: “they said we have no political structure but we have heroes of this movement from 4 persons tweeting to a national and international movement. I do not have any apologies for being obedient. If you want good governance, then you are obedient irrespective of any party you find ourselves. We need to be vibrant, stronger and here will be overflowing with crowd. By the time we come back.”
In his remarks, a top Guber aspirant Valentine Ozigbo reiterated: “Peter Obi is that shining light we have in this country, with him Nigeria will witness a new dawn. United we stand, divided we fall. If you do not understand, the need for us to fix this country, South East and Anambra State then you do not belong to obedient Movement.
“I have a document for a better and brighter Anambra State. From the spiritual to the physical, from the ideological to the political. We are here to tell ourselves the truth. We must come together as one.Let us find a new light, Val Ozigbo will make Anambra proud. We need to pray for Anambra State,” said Ozigbo.
