Education Is the Foundation of a New Nigeria Education remains the most important tool for development and nation-building. It has been proven that the more educated a nation is, the better it develops. It has also been proven that the developing and developed nations of today are those that have invested in education, healthcare and pulling people out of poverty. Nigeria’s increasing poverty remains a consequence of not investing adequately in critical areas of development, especially education. Today, while observing the International Day of Rural Women, I visited Sheda and Sheda Galadima, in Kwali Area Council of FCT, where I was surprised to see a huge number of school-age children in the market environs on a school day. In my conversation with the children, I was deeply shocked to learn that they had been at home for over two weeks due to the teachers’ strike. So, while we are busy inaugurating campaign councils with pomp and pageantry and declaring economic miracles, our young children of school age are loitering in the streets because of a strike, in a nation with already over 18 million out-of-school children. It is time to put our children and the future of our country back at the centre of governance and government decisions. Under our leadership, investment in health and education, as well as pulling people out of poverty, will be our priorities. The relevant authorities should immediately ensure that our children in public schools return to school in the FCT. A New Nigeria is POssible, and Nigeria will be OK. -PO

My Visit to the Nigerian Air Force Facility Further to my message yesterday, I visited the Nigerian Air Force facility in Abuja today to formally sign the condolence register following the unfortunate aircraft crash. The visit gave me another opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices made daily by the men and women of our Armed Forces and other security agencies in the line of duty. These courageous Nigerians put their lives on the line to defend our nation and protect our people. We must never take their service and sacrifice for granted. I extend my deepest condolences to the Nigerian Air Force and to the families, colleagues, and loved ones of those who lost their lives. May God grant eternal rest to the departed and give their families the strength and fortitude to bear this painful loss. May God continue to protect all those who serve our country. -PO

Debunking the Phantom Debts and Ecological Loan Fallacy My attention has been drawn to trending claims by the Anambra State Government that my administration left behind inherited debts, including a ₦2 billion ecological loan, contractor liabilities, and unpaid salaries, gratuities, and pensions. This is completely false. We systematically liquidated historical gratuities and arrears dating back several years, amounting to over ₦35 billion. At the point of handover, the state owed nothing in salaries, gratuities, or pensions, nor did we owe anything to any contractor for projects duly executed and certified. The ₦2 billion ecological fund in question was released barely three months before the end of my tenure for the Oko/Umuchiana erosion crisis. Despite pressure to spend the money, I refused, insisting that it should be left for my successor because government is a continuum and the funds were tied to a specific project. The money was therefore left 100 per cent intact in First Bank, in Account No. 2018779464, with a balance of over ₦2.13 billion. It is important to stress that funds tied to specific projects or set aside for particular purposes were not even included in the over ₦75 billion in savings we left behind. If anybody can establish anything to the contrary, I will stop campaigning. -PO

How Hired Thugs Obstructed My Visit to Benue State Yesterday, I attended the opening of the national campaign office of an opposition presidential candidate, Governor Seyi Makinde in Abuja. My presence was intended to demonstrate that politics can and should be conducted in an atmosphere of mutual respect and civility. As Governor of Anambra State, I made it a point during electioneering to welcome visiting opposition members personally, provided they acted within the ambits of the law. Guided by that same commitment to decency over partisanship, I travelled to Benue this morning, arriving at approximately 9:00 a.m. on a purely humanitarian mission: to visit the grieving families affected by the horrific killings in Yelwata, where over 270 people were massacred. Regrettably, our convoy was prevented from proceeding to the community by thugs chanting, “Peter Obi, go back.” It was deeply distressing to witness such hostility. I came to Benue not for partisan politics, but to mourn with our people, to listen to families who have lost loved ones, and to offer comfort at a moment of unimaginable sorrow. That a mission intended purely to show solidarity, compassion, and support could be obstructed in this manner is deeply alarming. At a time when our nation should be united in grief and resolute in preventing further bloodshed, we must reject any action capable of deepening our divisions. The people of Benue - and all Nigerians - deserve to sleep without fear. They deserve to travel without fear. They deserve to cultivate their land without fear. Above all, they deserve a country where the state places the protection of human life far above political expediency. Although we were unable to reach the community today, our thoughts and prayers remain steadfastly with the victims, their families, and the entire Yelwata community. We shall continue to work until the primary responsibility of government - the safeguarding of every Nigerian life - is restored. Until then, we cannot truly say we have built the nation our people deserve. A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO