Peter Obi, presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has recounted an experience from when he was a state governor where a young school girl in a public engagement openly questioned him about promises he made and did not fulfill.
It was gathered that the former Anambra Governor during an interview with Advocacy For Good Governance explained that the moment occurred during an interactive town hall meeting meant to link government officials with members of the public.
The session was meant to be a free-for-all discussion but it took another turn when a student from a junior secondary school was allowed to speak.
Obi said the girl got up and asked him pointblank why he made promises he did not keep.
The former Labour Party presidential candidate said the question changed the atmosphere in the room with many people becoming quiet and listening more attentively to the issue she raised.
He said he didn’t ignore her complaint but looked into it to find out what she was referring to.
The inquiry showed that there had been a promise to make some repairs and improvements in her school, but that it had not been completed at the time.
“I was at a town hall meeting when a girl raised her hand to speak,” said Obi. I went to her to ask her question in front of everyone. She looked at me and said, “Why do you make promises you don’t keep?” The question changed the mood in the room and everyone fell silent. Instead of ignoring it I decided to look into what she was talking about.
“And I found out that there was a promise made about repairs and improvements in her school that had not been done. I asked immediately for the problem to be solved. That moment stuck with me because it demonstrated how closely citizens, even children, observe leaders.
“Leaders must be open to correction from anyone. “Accountability means ensuring promises to the people are implemented. If the leaders stay close to the people, they will better understand the real problems. “When leaders do what they say they are going to do, trust in government goes up.”
