Peter Obi, the Labour Party's presidential candidate for the February 25 election, has expressed disapproval of the reported N15.961 billion allocation for the aides of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima. Taking to Twitter on December 8, Obi criticized the significant budget, suggesting that if the aides are allocated such a substantial amount, it's conceivable that Tinubu and Shettima might spend even more.
While acknowledging that he hasn't seen the official budget document, Obi based his analysis on publicly available information. According to him, the Chief of Staff to the president's office has allocated N20 billion for renovating the offices of the President and Vice President in Lagos and Abuja. Obi argued that these funds could be better utilized to address pressing issues in Nigeria, particularly in the realm of internal security.
Obi highlighted a concerning situation regarding the state of police stations in the country, noting that over 5000 stations lacked operational vehicles. Even for those equipped with vehicles, insufficient funds for fuel often hinder emergency response. In a portion of his statement, Obi emphasized the need to prioritize resources for essential matters that contribute to the country's growth and productivity, rather than allocating substantial sums to trips and renovations with limited value.
See tweet below:
Good morning Nigeria. While I am still waiting for the receipt of the full details of the 2024 budget for examination and to ensure the prioritization of the items for growth, I wish to comment on some of the items that are already in the public domain.
— Peter Obi (@PeterObi) December 8, 2023
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