The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has called on President Bola Tinubu to lead by example in reducing the cost of governance.
Speaking during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, the former Anambra State governor emphasized the need for the President to utilize local hospitals and visit educational institutions across the country to assess the state of Nigeria’s healthcare and education sectors.
Obi expressed concerns over the high level of corruption and escalating cost of governance, which he said has significantly increased public debt under the current administration. He urged that borrowings should be linked to developmental projects rather than the prevailing trend of borrowing for consumption.
He criticized the frequent foreign trips by government officials in 2024, describing them as a misuse of public funds. Obi also suggested that the President occasionally travel by road to experience firsthand the poor state of public infrastructure. He recounted taking former President Olusegun Obasanjo by road from Awka to Onitsha during his tenure as Anambra State governor, which led to the road’s eventual rehabilitation.
Obi decried the widespread poverty that has resulted in stampedes for palliatives and argued that the new minimum wage has failed to address the hunger crisis in the country. He also lamented the persistent insecurity caused by banditry, terrorism, and kidnappings, which he described as a tragic loss of Nigerian lives.
Additionally, Obi urged Tinubu to spend festive seasons in other parts of the country, rather than Lagos, to better understand the struggles of Nigerians nationwide. On tax reforms, he advocated for thorough debates, stressing that taxation should be linked to production. He argued that with most Nigerians living in poverty, the government must prioritize creating a productive economy before imposing taxes.