Portable, the controversial Nigerian singer, has met with former presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
The singer appeared to be in awe as he met with the politician.
A video making the rounds on social media shows Portable bowing as he met Peter Obi by his car.
Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has lamented about the high spate of kidnappings in the nation.
In a post via his official X handle, Obi said the kidnappings of Nigerians increased rapidly after President Bola Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023.
The former Governor of Anambra stated that the government is rewarding those who paid to get Tinubu elected rather than spending money to tackle insecurity in the nation.
Obi also called on the Tinubu government to increase the defence budget and stop spending funds on fancy weapons systems that fail to tackle the roots of the problem, which are poverty, poor education, and anger at army atrocities.
The LP chieftain also called out those who have continued to see his criticism of a bad system as bad and are maligning his person and the Obidients for seeking good governance and a better future for all Nigerians.
He wrote: “For those who have continued to see my issue-based constructive criticism of a bad system as bad and are maligning my person and the Obidients for seeking good governance and a better future for all Nigerians, let them now read this report from the respected international newsmagazine, The Economist of London and do the same.
“How much politicians in Nigeria care about national insecurity has long been correlated with how close it gets to their mansions in Abuja, the capital. On its outskirts on January 2nd, a father and his six daughters were kidnapped, prompting a rare outcry on high.
“A crowdfunding effort to pay the ransom was even backed by a former minister. But the kidnappers instead killed one of the girls and demanded more cash. The wife of President Bola Tinubu publicly lamented a “devastating loss”. Yet such horrors are still appallingly frequent—and largely ignored by politicians.
“In one incident last week in the South East, 45 people were kidnapped and are still missing, yet few leaders spoke out. The deadliest zone is the Nort East, where jihadists linked to Islamic State attack the army and villages. The North-west, too, is riddled with gangs that routinely kidnap for ransom. A decades-long conflict between mostly Muslim herders and largely Christian farmers rumbles on in the country, where on Christmas Eve, gunmen mowed down at least 160 people.
“Separatist violence still smoulders in Southe East. At his inauguration last May, Mr Tinubu declared security his “top priority”. Yet more than 3,600 people were kidnapped in 2023, the most ever, according to tAcleded, a global monitor of conflict.
“The snatching rose sharply after Mr Tinubu took office. And almost 9,000 Nigerians were killed in conflict last year (see chart). The government stresses that, in its most recent budget, spending on defence and the police took the biggest share, about 12% in all.
“The Defence got a fifth more than it did last year. Yet inflation is running at 29%, so in real terms, the defence budget has fallen. The government tends to splurge on fancy weapons systems that fail to tackle the roots of the problem, which are poverty, poor education, and anger at army atrocities.
“The latest budget includes funds for six t-129 Turkish attack helicopters on top of the 12 costly Bell choppers bought last year from America for $1bn, not to mention 12 Super Tucano attack aircraft. Buying strike drones has become so popular that the Army runs in a fleet alongside that of its forces. But drones are very good at guarding schools from kidnappings, and heavy weaponry risks disaster. A drone recently killed at least 85 civilians at a festival in Kaduna state—not the first such cock-up.
“The army promised to “fine-tune” its operations, but more radical change is needed. The police, well equipped but able to use better human intelligence, should lead on domestic security, not the army, which has been deployed in all 36 of Nigeria’s states.
Another huge problem is graft in security spending. “Defence is a prime part of the budget where you can take large quantities of money out without people being any the wiser,” says Matthew Page of Chatham House, a think-tank in London.
“Much of the budget, he says, is still about rewarding those who paid to get Mr Tinubu elected. Sometimes the army fails to receive its budget allocation. This is worsened by a system known as “security votes”, whereby parts of defence spending are deemed too sensitive to o require public oversight.
“The practice, which accounts for perhaps $700m a year, increased sharply under the last president and may well jump more under Mr Tinubu. The defence budget has nearly tripled since 2019. But thanks to inflation, wasteful purchases, sales, and corruption, Nigerians do not suffer. General Christopher Musa, the Chief Defence Staff, appears to understand the roots of the insecurity. “Military effort alone is incapable of restoring enduring peace,” he says, adding that the army helped build hundreds of schools under his command in the north-east. Yet many politicians seem keener to spend on themselves, rather than create the conditions for peace or fill the country’s fiscal hole. Even if Mr Tinubu resists the temptation to reinstate the petrol subsidy that he largely removed last year, debt servicing alone in 2024 may gobble up 61% of revenue.
“In November, the national assembly approved SUVs for all 460 lawmakers, at a reported cost of $150,000-plus per car. In two months, the government has budgeted $31m to improve accommodation for the president and vice-president—in a country of around 220m people where more than 80m are reckoned to live on less than $2.15 a day and many fear being kidnapped.”
Mr Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party is celebrating activist, Aisha Yesufu, as she turns 50.
Obi in a personally signed statement released via his account on the X platform, described Yesufu as an exemplary individual who is committed to the realization of a better Nigeria.
The former Anambra State Governor stated that Yesufu has consistently made sacrifices and worked hard towards realizing a better Nigeria.
He prayed for God’s blessings upon her and her family always.
Obi wrote: “On behalf of my family, and the Obidient family, I wish to most sincerely congratulate my very dear sister @AishaYesufu today on her birthday anniversary.
“May God Almighty who had been with her all these years and sees her goodness grant her many more healthy, fruitful and happy years. She remains an exemplary Nigerian who is truly committed to a better Nigeria, and consistently sacrificed and worked hard for that purpose.
“God Almighty bless you, and your family always.”
Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), attended theTrade and Investment Summit organised by the Commonwealth in London, the United Kingdom.
In a statement via his official X handle on Tuesday, Obi said the summit allowed him to speak on how Africa is greatly endowed as the world’s second-largest and second-most-populous continent and a continent of incredible richness.
The former Governor of Anambra State said Nigeria could earn more from agriculture than from oil if the government invested in the vast uncultivated lands in the North.
Obi stated that even with the immense potential and opportunities in Africa, many challenges remain related to the widespread leadership failures on the continent.
With its long years of experience in political leadership in Africa, the LP flagbearer urged the Commonwealth to partner with and support Africa to instil accountable and responsible political leadership.
He wrote: “Yesterday, I had the honour of speaking at the Commonwealth-organized Trade and Investment Summit in London, themed, “Harnessing the African Opportunity”, a topic of immense importance and promise.
“The event provided me with the ample opportunity to elucidate how Africa is greatly endowed, being the second largest and second-most-populous continent of the world and a continent of incredible richness, not just in terms of its natural resources but also its human capital, with a population of over 1.4 billion people.
“A youthful and dynamic workforce with the largest concentration of working age population of about 1.1 billion people, with an abundance of natural resources ranging from minerals to over 874 million hectares of arable land for agricultural revolution, positions Africa as a key player in the global economy.
“While every socio-economic sector in Africa presents immense potential and opportunities, I used just four sectors – Technology, Entertainment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture to further illustrate the emerging opportunities of this great continent, I mentioned that Africa is not just catching up, but innovating its areas.
“From fintech (financial technology) solutions that address financial inclusion to mobile technologies that leapfrog traditional infrastructure. Africa is proving to be a hub of innovation. It is creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs and businesses, including more access to education and healthcare.
“Africa is home to a litany of natural resources, including oil, gas, minerals, and timber. For instance, 40% of the gold and 90% of chromium and platinum deposits in the world are in Africa. The largest deposits of the world’s cobalt, diamond, platinum, and uranium are also in Africa.
The richest country in the world in terms of mineral and natural resources is The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with an estimated value of over $24 trillion, including the largest deposits of coltan and cobalt. The DRC picture can be extrapolated for many other African countries.
“Recent studies show that Africa has 60 per cent of the world’s uncultivated arable lands and that Africa’s food and agriculture market could increase from its present amount of less than US$300 billion a year to over US$1 trillion a year by 2030.
“The same studies show that with agriculture at the core of Africa’s economic transformation, the continent has the potential to become a global agricultural powerhouse and a net exporter of food. However, this can only be achieved if the right combination of policies is implemented.
“I have always maintained that Nigeria can earn more from agriculture than from oil if we invest in the vast uncultivated lands in the North. However, even with the immense potential and opportunities in Africa, many challenges remain related to the widespread leadership failures on the continent.
“Africa is home to many people living in extreme poverty and multi-dimensional poverty. Despite these challenges, there is a growing belief that Africa can be on the cusp of a major transformation with the opportunities that abound if the right reforms are pursued.
“I urged the Commonwealth, with its long years of experience in political leadership in Africa, to partner with and support Africa to instil Accountable and responsible political leadership, which has remained the most critical requirement for the harnessing of the immense opportunities in Africa for the benefit of Africa, the Commonwealth, and the global economy. I remain hopeful for a New Africa and a New Nigeria.”
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