The former governor of Anambra state and Labour Party presidential flagbearer during the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has berated the presidency for its justification of the foreign trips embarked upon by both President Bola Tinubu and his deputy, Vice President Kashim Shettima.
According to Peter Obi, the trips, coming when the country is grappling with domestic challenges, were concerning.
Recall that Tinubu departed for the United Kingdom on October 2, 2024, for a two-week working leave. He later left the UK for France on Friday, October 11, for “another important engagement,” his Senior Special Assistant on Political and Other Matters, Ibrahim Masari, stated.
Meanwhile, Shettima left Abuja on Wednesday for Sweden on a two-day visit to represent Nigeria in bilateral engagements with the Scandinavian nation.
Justifying both trips, the Presidency on Wednesday said the absence of Tinubu and his deputy does not pose any vacuum in Nigeria’s leadership. It said the two principal officers are “fully engaged with the nation’s affairs, even while away.”
However, reacting to the Presidency’s justification on Friday in a post on his X, Obi maintained that it was disturbing that Tinubu and his deputy weren’t in the country at a time when citizens need them most.
He wrote, “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.
According to him, 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.’
Obi added, “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.” Obi concluded.
