- Peter Obi and his running mate announce a scholarship for Auwalu Salisu, a tricycle rider who returned N15m to its owner
- The scholarship covers Salisu’s education, accommodation, and other expenses until graduation, unveiled during the LEADERSHIP awards and Conference
Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, along with his running mate, Baba-Ahmed Datti, have announced a scholarship for Auwalu Salisu, a tricycle rider from Kano, who returned the sum of N15m to its owner.
Last September, Salisu, a 22-year-old resident of Yankaba in Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano State, returned the forgotten money after a passenger from Chad left it behind. His act of honesty gained widespread recognition after it was reported in the media.
The scholarship was unveiled during Tuesday’s ongoing LEADERSHIP awards and Conference in Abuja. Accompanied by Datti and the Proprietor of Baze University, Obi stated that the university would cover Salisu’s education, accommodation, and other expenses until his graduation.
Salisu’s integrity resonated with many, earning him praise and recognition for his honesty. Obi emphasised the urgent need to invest in Northern Nigeria in his acceptance speech after receiving the politician of the year award.
He highlighted the region’s vast agricultural potential, stressing that Northern Nigeria should not be economically disadvantaged considering its fertile land. Obi underscored the importance of job creation and fostering a conducive business environment for youths to lift them out of poverty, thereby reducing crime rates.
He said: “The North has no reason to be poor in Nigeria. We make more money from agriculture than oil. Imagine Ukraine is giving Nigeria grain, a country that is in war. We have land and everything more than them. But they are giving us grain because 60 per cent of their land is cultivated, and 60 per cent of our own is uncultivated.
“The two biggest states in the North East: Borno and Taraba have 70,000 and 55,000 square kilometres which is four times the size of Belgium, but Belgium is exporting what we dont even export a quarter of”
He said the only solution to Nigeria’s economic crisis was to create jobs and a business environment for the youths. He added that the more young people were out of poverty, the lesser the crime.