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The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has criticised Peter Obi for suggesting that Nigeria could have accumulated more wealth if public funds were kept in banks to earn interest.
Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), made the suggestion during an interview with a radio station in Nasarawa State on Wednesday.
In a post on X, Keyamo described Obi’s argument as unintelligent and claimed the politician’s approval ratings had fallen significantly.
“This dumbness is beyond measure. I really don’t know whether to laugh or to cry. No wonder his approval ratings have plummeted so badly,” the minister wrote.
Keyamo further declared that Nigeria had avoided a major setback by not electing Obi.
“Nigeria did not just dodge a bullet; it ducked a massive howitzer!” he added.
During the interview, Obi argued that depositing money in banks to generate interest could significantly increase the country’s wealth.
“I wish everybody in this country left money in the bank; they have interest. Nigeria would have been so rich that we don’t know what to do with money,” he said.
Obi also spoke about his approach to publicising government projects, explaining that his administration did not consider elaborate ceremonies and television coverage necessary for projects financed with public funds.
He said citizens could see the work being done by the government without such publicity, while acknowledging that his approach might have been mistaken.
“We did what we were doing with public money, so the public already see us working, so why are we going to do the ceremony or showing it on TV? Maybe I was wrong, but that was what happened,” Obi said.
Keyamo’s reaction followed the comments, with the minister challenging Obi’s position on public finances and using the exchange to criticise his political standing.
