Peter Obi blasts Tinubu over allocation of N60 billion for lawmakers’ SUV purchases

Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has expressed concern over the allocation of N60 billion for the purchase of SUV vehicles for approximately 400 legislators, emphasising the continuation of a concerning trend in contemporary Nigeria.

Obi, in a recent statement posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), criticized the administration led by President Bola Tinubu for neglecting crucial developmental priorities in favor of unnecessary extravagance, catering to the comfort of the elected officials rather than serving the people’s needs.

He added that the potential for directing the funds into primary healthcare, underscored its pivotal role as the bedrock of a robust healthcare system.

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“A key development index has plummeted, resulting in our surpassing India, a country seven times our population, in infant mortality. This is a profoundly saddening situation,” Obi emphasised.

“To allocate such a huge amount, which is more than what we allocated to our primary health care, is nothing but troubling. One third of that amount, with proper negotiation, would have given them locally manufactured SUV vehicles from Innoson Motors, PAN or any local auto assembly plant, to help boost our economy and create and retain jobs. Upon my being sworn in as the then Governor of Anambra State, I observed that our State High Court Judges, State Government Permanent Secretaries, and newly appointed State Commissioners had no vehicles. 

“Anambra State Government had then ordered for two bullet proof SUV vehicles for my use. I cancelled the order and used the same money to negotiate a concessionary pricing with Peugeot Automobiles to supply us Sixty 406 vehicles which was enough for all the cabinet members including myself and my deputy governor. We used the vehicles for our first tenure and were able to commence the work of doing more in the areas of health, education and lifting people out of poverty.

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“Nobody would contemplate this kind of expenditure under my administration. I urge all involved to depart from this path of wastage of public resources. A more prudent and transparent Nigeria is possible.”