Obi seeks review of 2024 budget

The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has called for a total review of the 2024 budget, citing grave concerns over the nation’s deteriorating security situation, widespread poverty, food insecurity, and crumbling infrastructure.

In a statement on Monday via X, Obi’s call comes amid controversies surrounding the current budget and its allocation of resources.

“Having followed the controversies trailing the 2024 budget, and having read some of the budgetary provisions and allocations of resources, I wish to respectfully appeal for a total review of the entire budget,” he stated.

Urging swift action from both the executive and legislative branches, Obi emphasised the urgency of the matter, stating, “The Executive and Legislative arms should initiate an immediate review of the budget as it is still in early days of implementation in order to enable them to do urgent virement of resources to critical areas.”

Obi noted the need to allocate adequate funding to critical sectors such as security, poverty alleviation, food security, and power supply. “The nation’s resources should adequately be appropriated to critical areas like security, fighting poverty and solving the challenges of hunger and food insecurity, power supply, especially considering the difficult times that we are in,” he stressed.

Obi highlighted the nation’s struggles with hunger, food insecurity, and inadequate power supply.

“We have become one of the hungriest nations in the world and one of the most difficult nations in the world to live in, with food prices constantly going out of the reach of most Nigerians. Power supply is abysmally poor, and Nigerians are now mostly in total darkness, as over 60% are without power supply,” he lamented.

“We now hold the enviable position of having the highest number of out of school children, with about 20 million out-of-school children. We need to take our children off the streets and give them access to basic education.

“I, therefore, urge our executive and legislative arms to consider the many challenges facing our nation and re-allocate resources to these very critical areas. This is the time for complete sacrifice,” Obi wrote. Punch