Peter Obi tackles Tinubu, says his N8,000 palliative not enough to cushion effect of subsidy removal on Nigerians Peter Obi, the Labour Part...
Peter Obi tackles Tinubu, says his N8,000 palliative not enough to cushion effect of subsidy removal on Nigerians
Peter Obi, the Labour Party's (LP) presidential candidate for the general election of 2023, has criticized the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving N8,000 as a palliative for 12 million households over the course of six months to lessen the hardships that Nigerians were experiencing as a result of the removal of subsidies.
Obi claimed that due to Nigeria's extreme poverty, practically every household in the nation is suffering as a result of the elimination of fuel subsidies.
This was said by the former governor of Anambra state on Saturday, July 15, 2023, at the Pacesetters Schools, Abuja, graduation of the Class of 2023.
He continued, saying that in other states, teachers who are underpaid and do not receive pay for several months are also suffering.
In his words, "I was telling my people to find a way how to enroll for this N8,000 because almost everyone needs it; both parents and teachers need the 8,000."
When discussing the value of education in any country, Obi found it alarming that the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reported that more than 20 million school-age children in Nigeria are not enrolled in classes. He claimed that such a large number of children lacking access to education made it impossible for any country to experience meaningful development.
"If you follow the 2022 World population of counties, the number of Nigerians who are not in school equals the combined populations of Norway, Ireland, Singapore, and Dubai. More than 19 million people live in these four prosperous nations when combined, and 20 million of them are not in school. So how can you discuss future progress when the population of the four prosperous, industrialized countries combined is still in school in Nigeria? Investment in education is therefore essential, he said.
The human development index, health, per capita income, and education are all related to one other, according to research, Obi said, as health is related to education.
He believed that without educated citizens, a country could not have a healthy society and that there was no way to lift people out of poverty without education.
The former governor of Anambra state claimed that poverty is largely to blame for the issue of insecurity that the nation is currently facing. He claimed that as more people are lifted out of poverty, criminal activity decreases, and that "you can't do that unless you invest in education."
Obi noted that the more educated a person is, the more likely they are to be able to escape poverty. He emphasized the necessity for government investment in both public and private schools, arguing that Nigerian children attend private schools.
"Nigeria is a nation that claims to provide universal access to basic education. This implies that we have a budget for each child, and if Pacesetters is a private school, you will make sure to offer Pacesetters that budget so that parents can add extra; that is how you put it into practice.
"Because the students in public schools are not private, I as the governor of Anambra State didn't truly understand the distinction between them and students in private schools. When people bring up private schools, I respond that it makes no difference to me whether I give computers to public or private schools because I do both.
"For me, if I have the opportunity, education will have the highest amount in our budget; that is key, and teachers will be celebrated," he declared.