he 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, emphasized the urgent need for a thorough review of the 2024 budget to tackle Nigeria’s escalating security concerns and economic challenges. Speaking via his official social media handle, Obi expressed his concerns and proposed a reallocation of resources to critical areas.
Obi highlighted the importance of revisiting the budgetary allocations, stating, “Having followed the controversies trailing the 2024 budget, and having read some of the budgetary provisions and allocations of resources, I wish to respectfully appeal for a total review of the entire budget.”
He urged both the Executive and Legislative arms of government to initiate an immediate review of the budget, citing the early stages of implementation as an opportune moment for necessary adjustments. Obi stressed the need for urgent resource virement to address pressing issues such as security, poverty alleviation, hunger, food insecurity, and inadequate power supply.
“The nation’s resources should adequately be appropriated to critical areas like security, fighting poverty and solving the challenges of hunger and food insecurity, power supply, especially considering the difficult times that we are in,” Obi emphasized.
He also drew attention to Nigeria’s alarming statistics, including being among the world’s hungriest nations, with soaring food prices and widespread power outages affecting over 60% of the population. Obi lamented the high number of out-of-school children, urging for immediate action to provide basic education and opportunities for the youth.
“We now hold the enviable position of having the highest number of out-of-school children, with about 20 million out-of-school children. We need to take our children off the streets and give them access to basic education,” Obi urged.
Ultimately, Obi appealed to the government to prioritize national challenges and allocate resources accordingly, emphasizing the need for collective sacrifice during these challenging times.
