Rufai Oseni, a co-anchor of ARISE Television’s Morning Show, has said poverty increased in Anambra State during the administration of former governor and Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi.
Oseni made the remarks on Tuesday while commenting on the debate surrounding Obi’s record as governor of Anambra State.
According to him, data from the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, showed that poverty rose in the state during Obi’s tenure, moving from the high 40 per cent range to over 50 per cent.
“Poverty actually increased in Anambra under Peter Obi. It’s a fact. Go and check NBS figures, from about the late 40-something percent to over 50-something percent,” Oseni said.
He, however, noted that poverty also increased under other administrations across the country, including in Lagos State.
“Did poverty increase in Lagos? Yes. Under President Tinubu, it increased to over 63 per cent,” he said.
Oseni also acknowledged some achievements recorded during Obi’s administration, particularly in the education sector.
He said Anambra moved from 26th position to first position in WAEC performance during Obi’s tenure.
“Did he do some other things? Yes. Did he take the state from 26 position to number one position in WAEC? Yes, there are facts to that,” he said.
The television anchor said his assessment was based on available data, arguing that both the achievements and shortcomings of Obi’s administration should be acknowledged when assessing his record in office.
Oseni further said one of the major challenges facing Obi ahead of future political contests was the need to clearly articulate his policy proposals.
He said he was particularly interested in seeing Obi’s detailed plans for electricity generation, industrial production, healthcare and fuel subsidy reforms.
According to Oseni, he had previously asked Obi how he intended to expand electricity access but was yet to see a definitive policy document addressing the issue.
He said he would like to see how Obi planned to achieve 10,000 megawatts of electricity generation and link consumption with production through an industrial plan.
Oseni also called for clarity on Obi’s proposed healthcare policies and approach to fuel subsidies, stressing that retaining subsidies without a clear plan for managing inflation would be insufficient.
“It’s not just to say, okay, keep subsidy. Then how will you taper out inflation?” he asked.
Poverty actually increased in Anambra under Peter Obi – Rufai Oseni