Peter Obi, the former presidential candidate for the Labour Party in 2023, has urged the government to care more about the people of Nigeria. He says income numbers only matter if they actually make people’s lives better.
Obi, in a statement on Wednesday, said that even though President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said Nigeria has already hit its revenue target for 2025 way ahead of time, it is “meaningless” if the people are still suffering.
Recalled on Tuesday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while speaking to some members of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and The Buhari Organisation, led by ex-governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, said that changes to help the non-oil industries are working.
The president pointed out that most of the money is now coming from the non-oil sector. Assuring Nigerians that his ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ is anchored on infrastructure, healthcare, food security, and national security.
“The economy is now stable. Nobody is trading pieces of paper for forex anymore. The system is predictable. You don’t have to know the CBN Governor, Yemi Cardoso, before you can access foreign exchange or import goods,” the President said.
But Obi argues that these numbers don’t mean anything when businesses, workers, and retirees are begging for help. He said that many institutions are facing a shortage of funds, with an effect on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
According to him, some of these businesses can no longer pay their debts or staff salaries, which is why they’re protesting.
Obi also talked about how retirees and servicemen/women are still struggling. Even though they risked their lives for the country, they’re still protesting over unpaid gratuities and pensions.
“It’s disheartening to hear that people who worked hard for the nation are now begging for their right, yet the government boasts of meeting revenue targets. Who is fooling whom? He added.
The former governor said that meeting revenue targets is insignificant if the government cannot attend to the welfare of workers, retirees, and small business owners.
“Our nation must not continue to throw its citizens into a state of hopelessness. It is time for the federal government to act responsibly. A New Nigeria is possible.” Obi added