Peter Obi, the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the recent election, has taken a swipe at Nigerian politicians who resort to forging certificates to secure political positions. He asserts that such individuals, living a falsified life, are bound to make wrong decisions while in office.
Obi expressed these sentiments during an appearance on the Arise TV program, [/b]where he highlighted the importance of honesty and integrity in leadership. He emphasized that leaders who manipulate their academic credentials through certificate forgery undermine the very foundation of an honorable and truthful society.
Obi also drew attention to the fact that some past and present world leaders, while not highly academically qualified, were transparent about their qualifications. He cited the example of Abraham Lincoln, often regarded as one of the greatest American presidents, who came from a humble background and didn't claim false credentials to bolster his image.
He stated, “It is the issue of leaders making statements, doing things that are honest and truthful. This is an issue of honour and integrity. It is the foundation on which you build society.
“If you look at what is happening in Nigeria today, there are so many issues of certificate, age, and all sorts of falsification or the other. It is all over within the leaders.
“There is no way people can be doing this and be able to do the right things. Because that means that they are living a falsified life.
“There are so many great people in the world who did not go to school. I can say that the greatest president in America is Abraham Lincoln. He did not go to a former school because he came from an extremely poor family.
“He didn’t have to say he had a PhD here or there to generate arguments like what we are having all over Nigeria today which is bringing the credibility of the nation into question.
“You don’t need to have all the degrees in the world to be great but you need to be honorable about your past.”
