Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, says there are more “yahoo people” in government than “outside”.

A ‘yahoo boy’ is a street lingo for an internet fraudster or scammer. It was contrived in the early 2000s when tech company Yahoo dominated the search engine and email space.

Speaking during the 4th graduation ceremony of Nexford University on Saturday, Obi said the entire country has been turned into a crime scene.

He said there is a need for quality leadership to manage the affairs of the country, adding that graduates should become change agents in their communities.

“For governance, don’t think when we talk about vices, it is only yahoo boys… but there are actually more in government than there are outside because we have turned the entire country into a crime scene where people inside are stealing and people outside are stealing,” he said.

“It is about leadership and igniting the future. It is not rocket science but it is difficult. It is being able to have a strong character, the ability not to do the wrong thing.

“It is for you to help to bring a better change in that society that you want to live in. You have acquired knowledge today.Use what you have learnt to help us change society.

“You are a victim of Nigeria because our age and the age before has refused to do what is right and you are suffering for it.”

Also speaking, Oby Ezekwesili, former minister of education, urged the graduates to engage in services that impact their workspaces and the country positively.

“Service is the best of leadership. We hope that you see graduation as the opportunity for service to the work,” she said.

“The world of work you are in is different from our world of work. This whole world that you are in, you have to master.”