Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has blamed the mismanagement of public funds for Nigeria’s economic challenges, arguing that the country would be significantly wealthier if leaders protected government resources and allowed them to earn interest.
Obi, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, spoke during a radio interview in Nasarawa State on Wednesday, where he reflected on fiscal discipline, accountability, and his record in office.
“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 Labour Party presidential candidate disclosed that his administration kept funds in three different banks, presenting the arrangement as an example of prudent management of public resources.
He also criticised what he described as a culture in which people who act honestly are discredited, while wrongdoing is tolerated.
“Nigeria is a criminalised place. The criminals will always come together to show what the honest person did,” Obi said.
He added, “In Nigeria, to be honest is to be a criminal. To be criminal is to be honest.”
Obi said public officials should be accountable for resources entrusted to them, arguing that Nigeria could have accumulated substantial wealth if successive leaders had protected public funds rather than mismanaging them.
On his administration’s approach to public engagements, the former governor said he believed government projects should speak for themselves because they were financed with taxpayers’ money.
“We did what we were doing with public money, so the public already sees us working, so why are we going to do the ceremony or show it on TV? Maybe I was wrong, but that was what happened,” he said.
Obi also defended his basic education record during his tenure as Anambra governor, insisting the state performed exceptionally well in the sector.
“I was the best in education, basic education as a governor. You can go and check the records,” he said.
He cited a visit by University of Oxford Professor Paul Collier, whom he said had toured several states to assess developments in education and witnessed significant improvements in Anambra.
Obi maintained that education was a key measure of development and said his administration’s performance in the sector reflected the impact of responsible leadership.
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