•Support Tinubu to succeed, Sule advises ex-LP presidential candidate
By Chinelo Obogo and Abel Leonard, Lafia
Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has said the 2024 budget should be overhauled in light of allegations that the Senate padded the budget with N3.7 trillion.
Posting on his verified X handle, the former Anambra State governor said the National Assembly needs to begin an immediate reassessment of the budget to facilitate the urgent redirection of funds to more important sectors.
Obi pointed out that Nigeria is dealing with critical challenges in education, healthcare, economic, and power sectors, necessitating immediate attention and budget allocations.
“Having followed the controversies trailing the 2024 budget, and having read some of the budgetary provisions and allocations of resources, I wish to respectfully appeal for a total review of the entire budget. The Executive and Legislative arms should initiate an immediate review of the budget as it is still in early days of implementation in order to enable them to do urgent virement of resources to critical areas.
“The nation’s resources should adequately be appropriated to critical areas like security, fighting poverty and solving the challenges of hunger and food insecurity, power supply, especially considering the difficult times that we are in. In the past 1 year, about 7000 Nigerians have been kidnapped, with about 700 kidnapped in the last 3 weeks, notwithstanding the violent crimes and killings that occur in every part of the nation, which must have included us in one of the world’s riskiest countries to live in.
“A report by the globally respected publication, Financial Times, on March 12, 2024, described Nigeria’s kidnapping racket as a sign of a failed state. With all of these happening in our nation, how then can we attract foreign investors, & retain the confidence of local investors? We have become one of the hungriest nations in the world and one of the most difficult nations in the world to live in, with food prices constantly going out of the reach of most Nigerians. Power supply is abysmally poor and Nigerians are now mostly in total darkness, as over 60% are without power supply. Even those in perceived privileged areas now go for days without power supply.
“A 2022 Energy Progress Report designated Nigeria as the country with the largest number of people lacking access to electricity with 92 million of its over 200 million population living without electricity. About 80 percent of our primary healthcare centres are not functional. The cost of medical treatments and medicines have gone beyond the reach of most Nigerians.
“We now hold the enviable position of having the highest number of out of school children, with about 20 million out-of-school children. We need to take our children off the streets and give them access to basic education. I, therefore, urge our executive and legislative arms to consider the many challenges facing our nation and re-allocate resources to these very critical areas. This is the time for complete sacrifice. A new Nigeria is still very possible.”
Meanwhile, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has called on Mr Obi to support President Tinubu to succeed.
Sule made the call when the former Anambra governor visited him in Lafia, yesterday.
The governor, who said that elections were over, maintained that the president needs the support of all Nigerians to move the nation forward.
“I know you have the experience, competence and capacity to support the president in the overall interest of the country.
“The president is your friend and colleague, we were all in Lagos at some point, as such you need to contribute your quota to the development of the country.
“You can contribute your quota quietly, because the President need all the necessary support in order to bring the country back on track.”
Sule said the president alone cannot address the current challenges confronting the nation, adding that well meaning citizens like Obi should support him.
He added that the president means well for the country and called on Nigerians to support him in addressing insecurity, economic hardship, and other challenges confronting the country.
Sule, however, lauded Obi for drilling boreholes in some communities in the state, adding that the gesture had complemented government’s efforts toward alleviating the sufferings of the people.
Earlier, Obi said that the visit was part of his nationwide tour to offer support to Nigerians during Ramadan.
He lauded Sule for constructing new roads in the state, adding that the move had given the state a new look.
“I am not desperate to be president of this country, but I am desperate to see Nigeria work for the good of all. I always commend people when they do well, because politics to me is not about being negative every time. So, I commend you for the road networks in the state,” he added.