It’s time to stop financial indiscipline—Peter Obi rebukes FG

Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, has expressed concern over what he described as the fiscal indiscipline of the government.

Obi said it was unimaginable that the government budgeted N6 billion and N4 billion for the National Assembly car parks and recreational facilities, respectively, when the nation’s average tertiary school enrollment is less than 15 per cent.

In a post on his X handle on Monday, the former Anambra State governor expressed displeasure that secondary school enrollment in Nigeria is at 28 per cent, while the global average remains at 80 per cent.

Obi stressed that it was time to stop financial indiscipline and embrace financial discipline by prioritising the allocation of resources to the critical areas of human and national development.

He said: “As the giant of Africa that we are, I remain concerned about our fiscal indiscipline as a nation. Imagine the situation in our education sector, where the global average of secondary school enrollment is above 80 per cent, while in Nigeria it is 28 per cent.

“The global average of tertiary school enrollment is above 55 per cent, while Nigeria is less than 15 per cent. Yet our budget for the National Assembly car parks is N6 billion. The budget for the National Assembly recreational facilities is N4 billion.

“Approved for the construction of hostels in 12 tertiary institutions is just N1 billion. It is time for us to stop this financial indiscipline and embrace financial discipline by prioritising the allocation of resources to the critical areas of human and national development.”