Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, says the federal government’s plan to spend N142 billion on bus terminals is further proof of “misplaced priorities.”
On August 14, the federal executive council (FEC) approved N142.02 billion for the construction of ultra-modern bus terminals across the six geopolitical zones.
Sa’idu Alkali, minister of transportation, described the project as the “first direct federal government investment” aimed at transport infrastructure outside of road construction.
Alkali added that the initiative was conceived by the ministry of transportation to boost safety, improve passenger comfort, and support economic activities.
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Reacting in a post on X on Friday, Obi faulted the decision, noting that it reflects “poor judgment and lack of leadership focus.”
The former Anambra governor compared the allocation to the health sector, noting that the combined budget of all federal teaching hospitals and psychiatric centres in the country is less than N100 billion in the 2024 budget.
“The difference between the success and failure of development in any nation is how you prioritise your scarce resources,” the post reads.
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“The recent announcement that a sum of ₦142 billion has been approved by the federal government for the construction of one bus terminal in each of our six geopolitical zones further affirms the lack of competence, lack of focus, and poor leadership.
“In the 2024 budget, which is the operational budget today, the entire budget of all the teaching hospitals across all the federal universities in the country, as well as the federal psychiatric centres, is under ₦100 billion, yet the government has approved ₦142 billion for bus terminals.
“This is disturbing, considering that health is one of the most critical areas of development, which is deteriorating and remains grossly underfunded.
“WHO recently reported that over 20 million Nigerians are living with mental health issues.”
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Obi also described the move as a “tragic irony” that highlights the government’s failure to prioritise essential services.
