Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has come down hard on President Bola Tinubu for abandoning the country and sending his vice, Kashim Shettima to Sweden at a troubling time for the country.
The President had left for what he said was a working leave in the UK over two weeks ago and unceremoniously announced a few days ago he was moving to France after the holiday leaving Nigerians astonished.
Not only that, incidents of fire disaster and political crises in Edo, Rivers among others have left the citizens, who have been in a depressing mood, overwhelmed as a result of hardship blamed on the president’s poor handling of the economy.
While Nigerians groan and lament, the president has spent almost three weeks every month outside the country with his newly acquired jet which cost the country almost $200m.
The new Airbus A330 was acquired amid protest and without National Assembly approval.
Obi carpeted the president for extending his leave above all for sending Shettima who should be on the ground to Sweden when he would have simply flown there being just two hours close.
To Obi, it makes no common economic or management sense that at a time when Nigerians are begging for one meal a day, the president has continued to live carelessly not minding the people’s plight.
Obi said, “While it is arguable that with the President and Vice President absent from the Villa, there is no vacancy in the Presidency, in a situation where both the President and Vice President are out of the country, as reported in the media yesterday, it’s concerning for a country with such myriads of domestic problems.
“The President had told us he would only be gone for 14 days. The 14 days have passed now, and we are waiting to see him in the country.
“One would have expected him to return earlier than expected, considering the volume of work that needs to be done in a troubled nation like ours,” Obi said.
He stressed that, “The untold hardship that has been unleashed on our people as a result of some of his administration’s policies is unimaginable and we need his urgent attention to pilot the nation out of this present situation.”
Again, Obi argued that “since the President is reportedly in Paris, France, which is just about 833 nautical miles from Stockholm, Sweden, one wonders why he did not just attend the 2-day working visit to Sweden. He could simply have done it on his way back from France with his new powerful jet, which would have taken him a little over 2 hours.
“This,” he said, “would have saved time and the very scarce national resources we need critically at this time.
“Instead, he delegated the Vice President, who needed to travel 3055 nautical miles, over nine hours, and (about 4 times the travel time from Paris) Abuja, Nigeria, to Stockholm, Sweden, to represent him at the event.
“It would take about 4 times the time and distance it takes to travel from Paris to Stockholm to travel from Abuja to Stockholm.”
Regrettably, Obi said the president’s action “does not represent the kind of fiscal responsibility and common sense that is expected of leaders whose people are facing severe hunger and poverty.”
Obi emphasised that “This is the time to show true and committed leadership to the people by making decisions that prioritise the well-being of the people and effective management of the nation’s scarce resources in alleviating the sufferings of the people.”