The 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticized President Bola Tinubu and his Vice, Kashim Shettima, for being absent from the country at the same time.
Obi equally said it is arguable to accept the explanation from the presidency that there is no vacuum in the leadership of the country as a result of the absence of the two leaders.
Speaking via a statement on his X account on Friday, Peter Obi submitted that Nigeria is facing a lot of domestic problems and it is concerning for both the President and the Vice President to be away from the country at such a time.
He noted that the two weeks President Tinubu was expected to be away from the country has elapsed and the President should have returned to Nigeria as the citizens need his attention to steer the country out of its predicament caused by harsh economic policies.
“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.
“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,” Obi submitted.
The former Anambra State Governor also argued that it makes better economic sense for Tinubu to have travelled to Sweden himself from France instead of detailing Vice President Shettima to represent him.
According to Obi, making Shettima travel all the way to Sweden does not represent the kind of fiscal responsibility and common sense expected of Nigerian leaders at a time the country is battling with lean resources.
He called on the leaders of the country to show true commitment by prioritizing the welfare and well-being of the citizens.
“Again, 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 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.
“This does not represent the kind of fiscal responsibility and common sense that is expected of leaders whose people are facing severe hunger and poverty.
“This is the time to show true and committed leadership to the people by making decisions that prioritize the well-being of the people and effective management of the nation’s scarce resources in alleviating the sufferings of the people.
“A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO” Obi said.
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