Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi has faulted the recent expenditure of N60 billion on the purchase of SUV vehicles for about 400 Nigerian legislators.
According to him, the money could have been better spent on more pressing needs, such as healthcare and education.
Peter Obi, who is a vocal critic of wasteful government spending, has called on the authorities to reconsider the decision to purchase the vehicles, saying that it is a “continuation of the troubling trend” in Nigeria, adding that neglecting critical areas of development while spending lavishly on unnecessary luxuries is not what the country needs at the moment.
The former Anambra governor also pointed out that the N60 billion spent on the vehicles by the National Assembly is more than what was allocated to primary healthcare in the country.
He said that with proper negotiation, the government could have purchased locally manufactured SUV vehicles from Innoson Motors, PAN, or any other local auto assembly plant, which would have helped to boost the economy and create jobs.
Obi recalled that when he was governor of Anambra State, he cancelled an order for two bulletproof SUV vehicles for his use and instead used the money to negotiate a concessionary pricing with Peugeot Automobiles to supply the state government with 60 406 vehicles for all cabinet members, including himself and his deputy governor.
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Obi said that nobody would contemplate this kind of expenditure under his administration and urged all involved in the decision to purchase the SUV vehicles for legislators to depart from this path of waste.
In his closing remarks, he said that a more prudent and transparent Nigeria is possible.