Former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, has expressed his worry over “the depth of insensitivity that characterises our political and institutional leadership in Nigeria.”
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| Peter Obi with elderly woman who “lamented that for a while her pension had not been paid” |
Obi said, “any government that withholds the pensions and gratuities of our senior citizens in their vulnerable years, is wicked”, adding, “as a Governor, I inherited and paid off over N30 billion in pensions and gratuities accumulated over the years”.
This is coming after an “elderly woman, a retired civil servant, lamented that for a while her pension had not been paid.”
According to Obi: “My chilling encounter with an elderly woman, yesterday, has left me seriously worried about the depth of insensitivity that characterises our political and institutional leadership in Nigeria.
While interacting with the management and students of Shanahan College of Nursing Sciences, Nsukka, during my official visit to the institution, I noticed this elderly woman struggling desperately to talk to me.
People around tried to push her away and shun her into silence, but I instantly requested to have a word with her and hear her story.
She introduced herself as a retired civil servant who devoted the productive years of her life working for the nation.
She lamented that for a while her pension had not been paid. What was more heartbreaking was that she had been sick and admitted to the hospital for over a week, with medical bills, but her immediate worry was that she did not even have one Naira to buy food.
I felt a surge of anger and pity. Anger at leaders like me, who out of greed and insatiable desperation for material acquisition, have made life a living hell for others, by denying them the fruits of their labour. And then pity for the poor elderly woman, and many others like her whose painful stories may never be heard.
That is the nation we live in. A nation that has lost its sense of humanity and compassion.
I have said it before, and I still maintain, that any government that withholds the pensions and gratuities of our senior citizens in their vulnerable years, is wicked. As a Governor, I inherited and paid off over N30 billion in pensions and gratuities accumulated over the years, because I understood the pain the elderly citizens were going through.
I instantly gave her my little support and promised to follow up her case with the hospital management.
However, I am more concerned with the many others like her, dying in silence in many parts of the nation, because no one can speak for them. We must fix this nation. Nigeria must work for all, and everyone will get their due rewards for their productive contributions.
A New Nigeria is POssible.”
My chilling encounter with an elderly woman, yesterday, has left me seriously worried about the depth of insensitivity that characterises our political and institutional leadership in Nigeria.
While interacting with the management and students of Shanahan College of Nursing… pic.twitter.com/BLMEOOjL0v
— Peter Obi (@PeterObi) February 2, 2025
