The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has expressed concerns over President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima’s simultaneous absence from the country.
President Tinubu began a two-week vacation on October 2, initially expected to return after visiting the United Kingdom. However, his prolonged stay abroad, reportedly now in Paris, France, has sparked worries.
Obi said that while there’s no vacancy in the presidency, the absence of both leaders is alarming, considering Nigeria’s numerous domestic challenges.
“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.”
Obi questioned the president’s decision to send Vice President Shettima to Sweden, a nine-hour journey from Abuja, instead of attending himself.
“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.”
Obi’s statement posted on social media platform X on Friday reads:
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.
Again, 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. 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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