Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has condemned what he calls “financial indiscipline” and misplaced priorities by the Nigerian government.
In a public statement released via his social media account on Tuesday, Obi criticized the government’s apparent lack of concern for the low enrollment rates in secondary and higher education institutions across the country. He pointed out that instead of allocating more resources to the education sector, the government has chosen to invest in car parks and recreational facilities at the National Assembly.
Obi highlighted the stark contrast between Nigeria and the global average when it comes to school enrollment. He stated that while the worldwide average for secondary school enrollment is over 80 percent, Nigeria lags behind at a mere 28 percent. Similarly, the global average for tertiary school enrollment stands above 55 percent, but Nigeria falls short with less than 15 percent.
Despite these alarming statistics, Obi pointed out that the Nigerian government has allocated N6 billion for the National Assembly’s car parks and N4 billion for its recreational facilities. In contrast, a meager sum of N1 billion has been approved for the construction of hostels in 12 tertiary institutions.
Obi concluded his statement by urging the government to curb its financial indiscipline and adopt a more disciplined approach by prioritizing resource allocation to crucial areas that contribute to human and national development.
