Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticized plans by the federal government to construct bus terminals in each of the six geopolitical zones of the country.
According to Peter Obi, the planned construction, costing ₦142 billion, is a misplaced priority, and the money could be better deployed to other areas that benefit the citizens.
He urged the government to prioritize spending of scarce resources, noting that such can determine the success or failure of the government.
Naijaonpoint recalls that the federal government, at its last Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, approved the construction of the terminals. However, Obi described the move as a misplaced priority and tragic irony in a country where many citizens suffer from poverty and the nation’s infrastructure is in dire need of upgrades.
He wrote, “The difference between the success and failure of the development in any nation is how you prioritise your scarce resources.
“The recent announcement that a sum of ₦142 billion has been approved by the Federal Government for the construction of one bus terminal in each of our six geopolitical zones further affirms the lack of competence, lack of focus and poor leadership.
“In the 2024 budget, which is the operational budget today, the entire budget of all the teaching hospitals across all the federal universities in the country, as well as the federal psychiatric centres, is under ₦100 billion, yet the government has approved ₦142 billion for bus terminals.
“This is disturbing, considering that Health is one of the most critical areas of development, which is deteriorating and remains grossly underfunded. WHO recently reported that over 20 million Nigerians are living with mental health issues.
“This is not only a misplaced priority but a tragic irony of our country.
“This is not governance.”
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