Many political leaders don’t know their people’s problems – Abaribe

A Nigerian senator, Eyinnaya Abaribe, says many political leaders in Nigeria do not know their people’s problems.

Mr Abaribe, the senator representing Abia South, who spoke at a book launch on Saturday, said this was so because of the country’s flawed leadership recruitment process.

While unveiling the book titled, ‘The Scars of Our Generation Perspectives on Racism,’ Mr Abaribe said, “Most Nigerian leaders do not know their history; the leadership recruitment process is highly flawed. And that is why when people get into power, they don’t understand the problems confronting their people.”

He added that the problem of law enforcement in Nigeria had been compounded by the rampant issue of ethnic dominance in the country.

He added that the “problem with Nigeria has been that of ethnic-triumphalism. This has promoted impunity in the country.”

Mr Abaribe, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Senate minority leader, is a vocal critic of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government.

The senator recently called on Mr Buhari to resign his position as the president for his poor handling of the worsening state of insecurity in the country.

In 2018, he was arrested and detained for some days by the State Security Service (SSS) for his alleged link to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

At the time of his arrest, the senator was one of the three sureties for IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who was then standing trial on treasonable felony over his secessionist agitation for a Biafra Republic.