From Sola Ojo, Abuja
Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s frequent trips abroad, accusing him of abandoning Nigerians in a time of worsening insecurity, poverty, and humanitarian crises.
Obi, on his verified X handle yesterday, expressed concern that the president had spent a significant part of his two years in office outside the country, often on holidays, while millions of citizens grappled with hunger and insecurity.
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“From all indications, our President is not finding his home in Nigeria conducive for a long stay, and it should be concerning to us,” Obi said.
He noted that barely six days after returning from a 15-day trip for a five-day engagement, the president departed again, this time for what is reported to be his annual holiday in France, his 10th trip to the country in two years. Obi lamented that Nigeria was currently ranked the worst country to give birth, the worst place to live, and with the lowest life expectancy in the world. He posited that 79 per cent of Nigerians over 180 million people were currently facing food insecurity. “At a time when Nigerians need leadership, empathy and presence, a President should not choose foreign holidays. “No holiday is more important than the Nigerian lives you swore to protect,” Obi stressed.
He condemned the president’s failure to visit crisis-affected states, particularly Katsina, where over 50 people were killed in a mosque and village attack last month, and Niger, where at least 60 women and children died in a recent boat mishap. “What would it have taken the president to take a less than 30-minute trip to Niger State from Abuja in his jet?
“Mr President could have at least visited the grieving families in Niger before jetting off again,” Obi queried.
Calling for responsible leadership, Obi urged the president to prioritise investing in healthcare, education, poverty alleviation, and security, rather than extended stays abroad.
“True leadership is about sacrifice and compassion for the people. Nigerians deserve a president with all hands on deck to solve these pressing issues,” Obi added.
The post Obi slams Tinubu’s frequent trips amid rising national crises appeared first on The Sun Nigeria.
