By Obinna Uballa
Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has called on President Bola Tinubu to ensure that Nigeria’s recently announced revenue gains translate into tangible improvements in the lives of citizens.
Obi was reacting to Tinubu’s announcement that the country has achieved its annual revenue target by August, a development the president described as a sign of a stabilising economy.
Reacting to the pronouncement via his social media accounts on Wednesday, Obi while noting the reported feat, stressed that true economic stability should be reflected in better living conditions for Nigerians.
“If indeed the economy stabilises as you declared, then Nigerians must feel it in their daily lives. Borrowings must stop now. Huge contractors’ bills, which are still owed, should be paid, and critical underfunded projects must now be funded,” Obi said.
He lamented the state of educational facilities and hospitals across the country, insisting that the government must invest excess revenue in sectors that directly impact citizens.
“True economic stability is not in figures announced at press conferences, but in classrooms where children learn, in well-equipped labs and access to learning tools, in hospitals where citizens can receive quality care,” he stated.
Obi urged that for the remaining four months of the year, every value of excess revenue should be directed into health, education, and poverty alleviation. He also called for transparency and measurable outcomes in implementing these interventions.
“Anything less will mean that revenue growth has not translated into national growth. Nigerians deserve to see the impacts of this touted revenue growth,” he added.
The former governor of Anambra State concluded by reiterating his belief that “a new Nigeria is possible.”
