Obi Blast Supplementary Budget, Says Tinubu ‘Uncaring, Insensitive To Suffering Nigerians’

A day after President Bola Tinubu signed into law the N2.17trn supplementary budget, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has accused the Federal Government of being uncaring and insensitive to the suffering Nigerians.

Tinubu had on Wednesday assented to the Supplementary Appropriation Act in Abuja to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture and address the critical infrastructure deficit, amongst other considerations.

But taking to his X handle on Wednesday, Obi said the President failed to consider certain emergencies and pressing needs of the country.

The LP presidential candidate said that going by the manner the budgetary allocations were done, Tinubu was obviously unaware of the dire crisis in the country.

“No item of urgent social welfare has yet featured in the supplementary budget being orchestrated by this government. Instead, the items being made to dominate public discourse on the budget include a mysterious Presidential Yacht, Presidential Jets, the furnishing of already lavishly furnished presidential quarters and offices, fleets of luxury SUVs, etc. This portrays a Government that is totally uncaring and insensitive to the suffering of the majority, and indifferent to the mood of the nation,” the statement read.

“Admittedly, some items in the current budget may not have taken into consideration the needs of a new administration, but it is expected that a supplementary budget this late in the financial year should reflect mostly urgent items of national welfare.

“Sadly, the most pressing national needs and emergencies have not featured in the supplementary budget that was just announced by the government. For example, the United Nations and World Food Programme have recently alerted that up to 6.5 million Nigerians will go hungry next year.

“This number is largely from among citizens in Sokoto, Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, and Zamfara States. A caring Government in order to plan for the mitigation of such pending catastrophe can request for supplementary budget provisions to cushion those under threat.”