Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has criticized the recent foreign trips taken by President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.
He expressed concern that these trips occur during a time when the country is facing significant domestic challenges.
Tinubu left for the United Kingdom on October 2, 2024, for a two-week working leave, subsequently traveling to France on October 11 for what his Senior Special Assistant on Political and Other Matters, Ibrahim Masari, described as “another important engagement.”
Meanwhile, Shettima departed Abuja on Wednesday for a two-day visit to Sweden to participate in bilateral talks.
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In response to these trips, the Presidency stated that the absence of both leaders does not create a leadership vacuum, asserting that they remain “fully engaged with the nation’s affairs, even while away.”
However, Obi, who was the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the last elections, countered this justification, noting it is troubling that Tinubu and Shettima are not present in Nigeria when their citizens need them the most.
He wrote, “While it is arguable that with the President and Vice President absent from the Villa, there is no vacancy in the Presidency, in a situation where both the President and Vice President are out of the country, as reported in the media yesterday, it’s concerning for a country with such myriads of domestic problems.
The President had told us he would only be gone for 14 days. The 14 days have passed now, and we are waiting to see him in the country. One would have expected him to return earlier than expected, considering the volume of work that needs to be done in a troubled nation like ours.
“The untold hardship that has been unleashed on our people as a result of some of his administration’s policies is unimaginable and we need his urgent attention to pilot the nation out of this present situation.”
According to Obi, since the President is reportedly in Paris, France, which is just about 833 nautical miles from Stockholm, Sweden, one wonders why he did not just attend the 2-day working visit to Sweden.’
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He added, “He could simply have done it on his way back from France with his new powerful jet, which would have taken him a little over 2 hours. This would have saved time and the very scarce national resources we need critically at this time.
“Instead, he delegated the Vice President, who needed to travel 3055 nautical miles, over nine hours, and (about 4 times the travel time from Paris) Abuja, Nigeria, to Stockholm, Sweden, to represent him at the event.
“It would take about 4 times the time and distance it takes to travel from Paris to Stockholm to travel from Abuja to Stockholm. This does not represent the kind of fiscal responsibility and common sense that is expected of leaders whose people are facing severe hunger and poverty.
“This is the time to show true and committed leadership to the people by making decisions that prioritize the well-being of the people and effective management of the nation’s scarce resources in alleviating the sufferings of the people.”
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