Idowu Patrick
The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Mr. Peter Obi, has strongly criticized the inclusion of a presidential yacht and provisions for the office of the First Lady in the 2023 Supplementary Budget. He described these additions as an aberration and a display of insensitivity by the ruling party, especially when many Nigerians are grappling with severe hunger and alarming infant mortality rates.
In Obi’s view, a supplementary budget should be allocated for crucial national welfare needs that were either not originally included in the budget or lacked adequate funding. He highlighted that the United Nations had recently warned that 26.5 million Nigerians would face hunger in the coming year, underscoring the significance of addressing this pressing issue through a supplementary budget.
However, the decision to allocate resources for the First Lady’s office, especially when it is not constitutionally mandated, raised deep concerns for Mr. Obi. He argued that the funds designated for the First Lady’s office should be redirected to address critical issues concerning the girl child in the country.
Mr. Obi further voiced his disapproval of the considerable expenditure on vehicles for federal lawmakers, deeming it unnecessary. He emphasized that more cost-effective and efficient alternatives should have been explored, drawing from his experience as the former governor of Anambra State. During his tenure, he employed Peugeot vehicles as official cars for government officials and even rejected the bulletproof cars initially ordered for his use.
Regarding the call made by Vice President Atiku Abubakar for a six-year single-term rotational presidency to mitigate the challenges associated with electoral contests, Peter Obi expressed his support for a five-year single-term rotation among different zones, a strategy that would span 30 years. This proposal aims to promote stability and fairness in Nigeria’s presidential leadership.
