Thelma Osatohanmwen
The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi has raised concerns about the allocation of funds in the 2024 budget, pointing out what he sees as a stark contrast in priorities.
Expressing his dismay through his X account, the former Anambra governor highlighted the disparity in budget allocations, particularly focusing on the allocation of N5 billion for student loans compared to a larger sum of N6 billion designated for constructing a car park for legislators.
Obi emphasized that the apparent neglect of human capital development is a significant factor contributing to the country’s investment challenges.
He lamented that poor governance and persistent leadership failures have resulted in a recurring pattern of insufficient attention to critical areas of investment.
He argued that Nigeria would struggle to achieve substantial and enduring progress without a reduction in the cost of governance and a strict focus on prioritizing expenditure for growth and development.
Obi underscored the irony of budgetary decisions, stating, “A sum of N5 billion was budgeted for student loans, while a larger sum of N6 billion was budgeted to build a car park for Legislators, who recently used 12 times the amount of student loans to buy official cars.”
He went on to highlight the imbalance in priorities, noting that the allocated amount for legislators’ car parks exceeded that for student loans.
Obi also pointed out the absence of a national library, emphasizing the need for a reevaluation of budgetary priorities to address the crucial areas of investment for the people.