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Peter Obi tackles Tinubu’s government over plan to use N10bn to construct car park and others in national assembly

Published

2 months ago

May 21, 2024

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections has tackled the federal government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over a plan to use N10bn for the construction of a car park and recreational facilities in the national assembly.

He described it as fiscal indiscipline on the part of the government and asked the federal government to prioritise allocating resources to critical sectors.

In a series of posts on his X page on Monday, Obi lamented the poor state of Nigeria’s education sector, citing the low enrollment rates in secondary and tertiary institutions compared to global averages.

The former Anambra governor highlighted the disparity between the country’s spending priorities and its development needs.

He said that while the global average for secondary school enrollment is above 80 percent, Nigeria’s rate is a mere 28 percent.

“As the giant of Africa that 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 enrollment is above 80%, while in Nigeria it is 28%,” Obi wrote.

“The global average of tertiary school enrollment is above 55%, while Nigeria is less than 15%. 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 emphasised the need to address the country’s educational challenges and invest in its future.

Meanwhile, Obi has donated the sum N10 million to College of Nursing Sciences, Adazi Nnuku in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra.

Obi handed the cheque to Most Rev. Dr Paulinus Ezeokafor, Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Awka, the ownerof the institution.

Obi said nurses were crucial to the nation’s health sector given the enormity and importance of their work .

He added that nurses they deserved all the attention they could get.

“Institutions like this should be get budgetary allocation because of the great work you are doing, trying to train these nurses who are always there with the patient.

“We can not talk about healthcare ,which is a very important to national development ,without talking about healthcare workers.

“I have heard what the Head of Nursing Department in the school has said, I want to assure you that we will come back.

“Training these people is helping to protect our future.if we do not train them today, they will become a threat to us,” he said.

Responding Ezeokafor thanked Obi for the gesture to the institution and the church.

He said Peter had supported the institution before he became governor and when he was governor ,and that he had continued to do so as a private citizen.