Lagos today, Jakarta tomorrow. You will hardly see Peter Obi relying entirely on second hand news, for the Labour Party leader is a man of the globe, flying across continents in search of knowledge and solution to basic problems that turn nations to tigers.
When you see Obi wearing the trademark black Indonesian cap with a matching shirt, do not think he bought it on line. The man was there, in the land of 17,000 islands and the most populous Muslim majority country in the world, to learn.
Indonesia and Nigeria share so much in common. The Asians have 38 provinces, the Africans boast of 36 States and a Federal Capital Territory. The Headquarters of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is in Jakarta. West Africa chose Abuja as Secretariat of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The population of Indonesia is 280 million. Nigeria is fast catching up, at about 250 million. Both countries adopted the Presidential system of government. You will find resources like oil, natural gas, coal, timber, palm oil, rubber and cassava in abundance.
Here comes the difference. Indonesians have not sat back, watching their endowment waste and are proudly the 16th largest economy in the world. Tourism attracts 14 billion United States dollars to the GDP. In 2023, a total of 11.6 million international visitors trooped to the country.
Obi picked a lot of lessons from his trip. There are 6,000 ethnic nationalities in Indonesia. There are challenges in Aceh just like in the North – Eastern part of Nigeria. There are Christians as well as Buddhists and various practitioners. The streets are not littered with citizens beggng for food.
In June 2022, Obi flew to Egypt. He was not there to look at the Sphinx or River Nile. His interest was power generation. At the New Capital Power Plant, Cairo, the story of how there was improvement from 20, 000 megawatts to 40,000 megawatts in four years sounded nice. It is interesting that some of those who saw nothing special about that trip are now ready to visit the Egyptians capital to learn.
After earthquake devastated Haiti in 2010, many African countries and multi billionaires did not remember the blood connections. The Caribbean country is full of Igbo, Efik, Yoruba and Fon descendants whose forbears were shipped as slaves, to Sugar plantations.
Obi remembered that background and rushed to Port Au Prince with food, clothing and other forms of relief. Haiti represents the will of West Africans. Led by Tousaaint Louverture and Jean – Jacques Dessalines, the Haitians gained independence after defeating the France of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Back home, it is from one church or mosque to another. It is difficult to count all the communities visited by this trader turned politician. What he does is to support religious organisations with as much as his pocket can spare. There is no discrimination whatsoever.
Education and Health have also benefitted. Nursing schools, from Anambra and Imo in the East to Benue in the North are wearing million naira smiles. Tertiary institutions, some forgotten by the forces that established them, always look forward to Obi’s unscheduled visits.
And this man can take risks. Obi travels by road to even difficult terrains. Once, he was caught in gridlock around the Middle Belt and excitement took over when travellers saw him feeling their pains. In the hardship, there was no difference between plenty and lack.
During the 2023 elections, no other presidential candidate campaigned in some parts of Borno State that were tormented by Boko Haram. One particular community was shocked to see Obi in their midst. Not even President Muhammadu Buhari, a retired general, found it safe to touch down there.
During the Sani Abacha years, there was a period of congestion at the Apapa Wharf. Containers were trapped and big time importers groaned. A decision was reached to go see Gen. Abacha in Abuja and the importers and industrialists sent a delegation.
While strategising for the visit to Aso Villa, word went round their hotel in the night that Abacha could just lock them all up for daring to question the congestion. Many delegates changed their minds and chose to stay away. Obi and a few others stood strong.
When they got to the Villa, the young man, then a little above 30, was made spokesman. He stood up and just as he was marshalling out points, the general called him to order. Everyone thought the dreaded Body Guards would be called to whisk Obi away. No, Abacha was impressed.
Abacha ordered Finance minister, Anthony Ani, to set up a Port Decongestion Committee immediately and include the speaker and some of his colleagues as members. It was a successful trip after which Obi traveled to the United Kingdom to continue with his trading and management studies.
Obi is quite humorous. He enjoys spending money on these nationwide and global trips.
“At over 60 years, you don’t need to be accumulating wealth that you really don’t need. You will not sleep in two houses at the same time. There is no need for a garage of expensive cars. You go after women at your own risk,” was his defence.
I wonder why he has continued to live in Onitsha, even rejecting accommodation in high brow Lagos Island when he was chairman of a bank. To him the money to buy choice property can change the lives of school children in Talata Mafara or Iworo Ajido.
At the Cote d’Ivoire 2023 African Nations Cup, Obi was there, among the crowd. He was at Uyo recently cheering the Super Eagles against the Brave Warriors of Zimbabwe. There were no inhibitions. He was as free with Iboro as with Ekaette. And no one picked his pocket.
Credit: Emeka Obasi