Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has raised concerns over the approval of N3 billion for the verification of the national register of the poor, highlighting that the funds could have been more judiciously used in the education sector.
Expressing his criticism on his social media handle, Obi lamented that the approved amount for the verification of the national register of the poor is over three times the budgeted amount of N908,699,435 for the National Library. He expressed surprise at the allocation of such a significant sum for a verification process, emphasizing that such occurrences are unique to Nigeria.
Obi underscored the urgency of addressing the cost of governance in Nigeria and stressed the need for decisive action. He pointed out the disparity between the allocated funds for the national register verification and the needs of critical infrastructure like the National Library.
In his statement, Obi stated, “Sadly, this very huge amount approved just for verification of the national register of the poor is more than three times the amount of N908,699,435 which was budgeted for our National Library.” He expressed concern about the state of the National Library, emphasizing the impact the funds could have made in education if managed transparently.
Obi questioned the necessity of such a substantial sum for the verification process and argued that the funds could have been directed towards actual poverty alleviation. He called for a reevaluation of expenditure priorities and urged leaders to focus on critical areas of national development, especially in education and national security.
Highlighting the need for regular verification of poverty alleviation data, Obi raised fundamental questions about the allocation of resources. He concluded by emphasizing the importance of sacrificing personal comfort for the greater good of society and caring for the less privileged to address societal ills caused by high levels of poverty.