The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has called for transparency from the current APC-led Federal Government regarding the state of the nation’s finances.
Obi criticized the recent claim that the government inherited a bankrupt nation, emphasizing the need for specific details on the degree of deficit inherited. He highlighted responsible governance’s core tenets—transparency and strict accountability—and urged the government to disclose the actual conditions inherited for public awareness.
Obi drew parallels with the previous APC administration, stating that similar claims were made without revealing specific details in 2015.
He expressed concern over the rising national debt, reaching N87 trillion in 2023, without evident improvements in key development indices such as education, health, poverty eradication, and security.
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He also questioned the rationale behind some expenditure items in the recently signed supplementary budget notably, the cost of new SUV’s for the office of the First Lady and a presidential yatch valued at N5 billion, emphasizing the need to address high governance costs.
Obi emphasized redirecting resources towards critical sectors like security, healthcare, education, and poverty eradication. He called for measurable and verifiable steps to improve the nation’s situation, stressing the urgency to tackle youth unemployment and prioritize essential areas over non-essential expenditures.