Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has been reflecting on leadership and public conduct following a three-day visit to the United States, which took him to Washington, Chicago, and Atlanta.
In a post on X, Obi described his trip on Delta Airlines and brought out lessons drawn from his experiences at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport and during a meeting with the Mayor of Atlanta, Andre Dickens.
The former Anambra State Governor used the opportunity of his trip to juxtapose public service and modesty abroad with attitudes often displayed by Nigerian leaders.
According to Obi, “I left Lagos yesterday, the 24th of Sept, for a 3-day trip to the USA, covering Washington and Chicago, with a stopover in Atlanta. I travelled with Delta Airlines, the first airline in the United States, which has been in existence for over 100 years.
“We arrived at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest airport in the world. It handles over 100 million passengers annually—about five times the total traffic of all Nigerian airports combined. The airport is owned by the City of Atlanta and 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.
“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. He is estimated to be worth about $10 million.
“Yesterday (Wednesday), after meeting Mayor Andre Dickens, we both travelled on the same flight to Washington. 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.
“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. Our public conduct and behaviour must change”.
