By Moses Okorie
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi has described the seizure of Nigerian presidential jets by a Chinese company as another international embarrassment orchestrated by bad governance in the country.
Obi posted this via his verified X handle accusing the federal government of not being sensitive to the plights of Nigerians who are living in extreme poverty, but are spending over $100m on presidential jets.
The post reads: “The trending international news on the seizure of three Jets belonging to Nigeria’s Presidential fleet is yet another of many embarrassing things exposing our failed leadership and our attitude to the rule of law even in a democracy.
“It has also exposed multiple dimensions to our leadership failure and our insensitivity to the plight of the growing poor class in our midst.
“I have been loud in my demand over time that the government at all levels should be accountable to the people, meaning that they must be very transparent in all their dealings. Until a court in France prohibits Nigeria from moving or selling these three jets, Nigerians have no iota of information about both the buying and selling of these aircraft.
“It has been done in secrecy. Federal Government property, which belongs to the people, is being managed as a personal family asset”.
Peter Obi said paying as much as $100m dollars for a presidential jet for a country that is the poverty capital of the World and has more out-of-school children with over 40% food inflation is the height of concern for the people’s feelings.
He added that this incident has also opened up an aspect of indiscipline that is copiously embedded in the country which is the abuse and disrespect for the rule of law.