Peter Obi, the Labour Party‘s (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, says the federal government’s proposal to spend N142 billion on bus terminals demonstrates “misplaced priorities.”
On August 14, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved N142.02 billion for the development of ultra-modern bus terminals in all six geopolitical zones.
Sa’idu Alkali, the minister of transport, hailed the project as the “first direct federal government investment” in transport infrastructure other than road development.
Alkali went on to say that the project was created by the ministry of transportation to increase safety, improve passenger comfort, and stimulate economic operations.
Obi criticised the move in a Friday post on X, saying it demonstrates “poor judgement and a lack of leadership focus.”
The former Anambra governor compared the allocation to the health sector, pointing out that the total budget of all federal teaching hospitals and mental facilities in the country is less than N100 billion in the 2024 budget.
“The difference between the success and failure of development in any nation is how you prioritise your scarce resources,” the post reads.
“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.”
Obi also called the move a “tragic irony” that demonstrates the government’s failure to prioritise basic services.
