The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has again condemned the financial recklessness and misplacement of priorities in the allocation of funds by the Federal Government.
A statement by Obi’s spokesperson, Dr. Tanko Yunusa, yesterday, said the former Anambra governor knocked the continued deployment of public resources to nonessential areas of development.
Obi expressed sadness that despite the poor and embarrassing position of Nigeria in the global average in school enrolment, the government is budgeting a paltry N1 billion for the construction of hostels in 12 tertiary institutions while N10 billion is going for building of car parks and recreational facilities.
According to Tanko, Obi wrote on his X platform, saying: “As the giant of Africa which we are, I remain concerned about our fiscal indiscipline as a nation.
“Imagine the situation in our education sector where the global average of secondary school enrolment is above 80 percent, but Nigeria is 28 percent.
“The global average of tertiary school enrolment is above 55 percent, while Nigeria is less than 15 percent. Yet, our budget for the National Assembly car parks is N6 billion. The budget for the National Assembly recreational facilities is N4 billion.
“Approved for the construction of hostels in 12 tertiary institutions is just N1 billion.
“It is time for us to stop this financial indiscipline and embrace financial discipline by prioritising the allocation of resources to the critical areas of human and national development,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Obi has admonished the LP faithful across the country to embrace reconciliation for a better society.
Obi, who was at the national secretariat of the party alongside other loyalists in the Federal Capital Territory, also endorsed the newly elected National Working Committee (NWC) of the party led by Julius Abure.
He urged aggrieved party members to put the survival of Nigerians and Nigeria above all other interests.
He noted that Nigerians were passing through difficult times with many unable to afford the necessities of life. “How to survive this challenge should be uppermost in the minds of well-meaning Nigerians, and not the next election. We should, for the time being, focus on the well-being of Nigerians and not elections.”
Obi explained that politicians were quick to think about elections rather than governance, which entails making life better for citizens.
While addressing the mammoth crowd of party supporters during the event, he assured that he would work with the leadership to ensure that the LP retains its leadership position in the FCT.
According to him, political parties exist only because Nigeria exists, “as such it behooves every one of us to work together to ensure the survival of our country because Nigeria is the only country we have.”
Earlier, Abure had called on the aggrieved party members to sheathe their swords and join in the battle to rescue Nigeria.
“We are at the point where Nigerians are grappling with economic challenges, where workers are not respected, earning a paltry N30,000 minimum wage, where inflation is sky high and where most Nigerians go to bed on empty stomachs.”
He thanked Obi for the visit and assured him that the party would do everything possible to restore unity in the party.
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