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In a series of X posts, the 2023 Labour Party (LP) Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has expressed his concerns regarding the 2024 Nigerian budget, highlighting numerous anomalies and the need for a comprehensive review.
Obi’s criticisms focus on the budget’s allocation of resources to projects that do not prioritize the well-being of the Nigerian masses, and he has vowed to continue speaking out against these issues until the end of the year.
Obi’s primary concern lies in the allocation of scarce resources to high-priority areas that are essential for the nation’s development.
He believes that the current budget fails to address the needs of the people and instead caters to the interests of a select few within the political class.
The former Anambra State Governor has called for a reassessment of priorities and the elimination of frivolous expenditures, urging the government to channel resources in a manner that benefits the population at large.
One of the key issues raised by Obi is the allocation of N15 billion solely for the National Assembly hospital, which exceeds five times the budgetary allocation for The National Hospital or the combined capital vote of six major teaching hospitals across the nation.
This disparity, according to Obi, reflects a low level of care for the rest of society.
Similarly, Obi has criticized the justification of a budgetary allocation of N15.3 billion for the National Assembly library project and procurement of books, including the e-Library, in a country without a National Library.
The National Library has been under construction for the past 20 years, and its budgetary allocation for 2024 is less than 1B Naira, which makes the National Assembly Library budget 15 times more.
Furthermore, allocating N10 billion for the Senate’s and House of Representatives’ car parks and the National Assembly Recreation Centre, while allocating less to the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, is concerning.
This allocation demonstrates a lack of foresight and basic awareness of global trends and urgent national priorities, according to Obi.
In light of these issues, Peter Obi has called for a reevaluation of the budget, urging the government to prioritize the allocation of resources to productive sectors of the economy.
He believes that a nation cannot be built on a foundation of waste and frivolity, and that every scarce resource must be directed towards the benefit of the people.
As the year progresses, the public and stakeholders will be closely watching to see if the government takes heed of Peter Obi’s persistent criticisms and makes the necessary adjustments to the 2024 Nigerian budget.
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