Obi Calls For Change In Govt Officials’ Conduct After US Trip

The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, has called for a change in the conduct of Nigerian public officials after a trip to the US.

The former Anambra State governor stressed that leadership should be defined by modesty, accountability, and service rather than pomp and extravagance.

Speaking on Thursday after his three-day visit to the United States, which covers Washington and Chicago, with a stopover in Atlanta, Obi reckoned conducts matter in public service.

He explained that he departed Lagos on Tuesday, September 24, aboard Delta Airlines, which he described as “the first airline in the United States, in existence for over 100 years.”

The former governor arrived through Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which he noted is the busiest airport in the world.

“It handles over 100 million passengers annually—about five times the total traffic of all Nigerian airports combined,” Obi said.

“The airport generates about $32 billion annually (roughly Nigeria’s 2024 operational budget) for the city, and $70 billion (almost twice Nigeria’s 2025 budget) for the Atlanta metropolitan area and the State of Georgia.”

Obi also reflected on Atlanta’s governance structure and budget, noting, “Atlanta City itself runs on an annual budget of about $3 billion (over ₦4.5 trillion). Its current Mayor, Mr. Andre Dickens, was a businessman before going into politics.

“His key commitments include public safety, tackling crime, creating opportunities for young people, and ensuring a minimum of $15 an hour for council workers,” Obi explained.

He recounted meeting Mayor Dickens, whom he described as embodying the simplicity of leadership.

“Yesterday, after meeting Mayor Andre Dickens, we both travelled on the same flight to Washington,” Obi said.

“At Atlanta airport, on the plane, and upon arrival at Ronald Regan National Airport, there was no special announcement of his presence, no aides carrying his bags, and no jumping the queue during boarding or disembarkation.”

Contrasting this with Nigeria, Obi criticised what he called the excesses of local leaders who preside over much smaller budgets.

“In Nigeria, governors—most of whom oversee budgets smaller than Atlanta’s—and even local government chairmen, whose allocations are less than 1% of Atlanta’s, would have constituted a public nuisance with sirens, protocol officers, endless announcements, large entourages, and posters everywhere,” he observed.

He stressed that such behaviour undermines the dignity of leadership and erodes public trust.

“Our public conduct and behaviour must change,” Obi added.