The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has faulted a N15 billion allocation for the construction of a new residence for the nation’s Vice President (VP), Kashim Shettima.
Information Nigeria reports that last Wednesday, Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) said N15 billion would be spent for the construction of a new residence for the VP.
Reacting in a post via X, the ex-Governor of Anambra State said Nigerians need leaders willing to make sacrifices for the nation’s development.
“We need leaders who show compassion and are willing to sacrifice for common progress and development. Such compassionate and frugal leaders are critical in our journey to the New Nigeria,” he wrote.
In his Monday post, he wondered what was wrong with the country.
“The recent news about a budget provision of N15 billion for the construction of a new residence for the Vice President is both shocking and disheartening, considering the many important challenges facing our nation.
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“Just recently in the Supplementary Budget, the sum of N2.5 billion was included for the renovation of the Vice President’s residence in Abuja, which means that he already has a residence.
“Again, during the budget presentation, I heard the sum of N3 billion was allocated for the renovation of the Vice President’s residence in Lagos.
“If we total all these sums, we would have budgeted the sum of N20.5 billion for the housing of the Vice President at this critical time when we are not just the world’s poverty capital, but more people are falling into poverty, with so many Nigerians not knowing where their next meal will come from. Our health facilities have collapsed, and unemployment is skyrocketing,” the statement read.
According to Obi, “99.9% of Nigerians can only dream of living” in the current residence of Vice President Kashim Shettima.
“Most Nigerians may not know that the popular 1004 flats in Lagos, was a land allocated for the building of a Presidential Mansion for the then Head of State, General Murtala Mohammed.
“He sternly turned down the offer and instructed that the land should be used to build blocks of flats for civil servants. That is the kind of sacrificial leadership worth emulating. Our leaders must therefore stop the recklessness and insensitivity to the plight of the masses,” he added.
