Peter Obi, the former presidential candidate, has issued a pointed response to the Federal Government’s announcement of a record revenue performance, challenging the administration to move beyond macroeconomic statistics and deliver tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
His statement came as a direct counterpoint to the government’s triumphant declaration that it has halted borrowing from local banks, a move it attributes to “unprecedented growth” in non oil revenues.
While offering a cursory congratulations on the achievement, Obi’s message quickly pivots to a demand for substantive proof. He argues that true economic stability is not measured by figures announced at press conferences but by the material conditions witnessed in classrooms, hospitals, and communities across the nation.
For him, the government’s claimed success must be validated by an immediate cessation of borrowing, the settlement of huge outstanding contractors’ bills, and the urgent funding of critically underfunded public projects.
Obi’s critique focuses on the nation’s ailing social infrastructure, stating that the real test of the revenue boom lies in its ability to refurbish dilapidated schools, equip laboratories, and ensure hospitals are functional and adequately stocked.
He presented a clear prescription for the government’s next steps, urging that every value of excess revenue generated over the next four months be deliberately and transparently channelled into health, education, and poverty alleviation programmes, with outcomes that are both verifiable and measurable.
This response introduces a significant political challenge for the Tinubu administration, framing its fiscal achievements as an incomplete victory until they directly alleviate the hardships faced by citizens.
The government’s own statement acknowledged that revenues “do not yet match the President’s ambitions for expenditures on education, health, and infrastructure,” a admission that Obi’s remarks seize upon to underscore a perceived disconnect between treasury reports and lived reality.
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