… Asks Govt To Prioritize Welfare, Security Of Nigerians Than Funding Luxury
Mobolaji Michael
AS Nigerians bid farewell to the year 2023 and usher in 2024, the Labour Party say it has prayed that God intervenes and brings succour to all Nigerians who have been exposed to untold hardships owing to maladministration and insensitive government presiding over affairs of the country.
Speaking through Obiora Ifoh, its National Publicity Secretary, the Labour Party maintains that: “While we pray, we also enjoin Nigerians to take a closer look at budgetary provisions and sectoral allocations in the 2024 budget.
“Without a doubt, the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration has displayed a disdain for the security and welfare of Nigerians.
“Looking at the 2024 budget, we cannot fail to notice the undue attention given to the comfort of those in power to the detriment of the majority of Nigerians.
“Critical sectors of the economy such as Education and Health were allocated paltry N1.27tr and N1.33tr representing 7.9 and 4.8 percent of the entire budget respectively.
“This is in a budget which has items like N3bn for Senate Car Park, N1bn for Constitution Review, N78.62bn for the House of Representatives and N36.727bn for the National Assembly Office, N4bn for National Assembly Recreation Centre, among other unbelievable allocations.
“Our presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Mr Peter Obi had earlier drawn attention to the misplaced priorities and insensitivity of the President and his party in allocations of staggering sums for the renovation of the President and Vice President’s offices and trips for them and their hangers-on for which a humongous amount of N35.961bn was set aside.
“Nigerians have continued to suffer in the hands of bandits, terrorists, kidnappers and criminals of all sorts but all the administration is concerned about is the comfort of those elected to serve and not make life better and more meaningful for ordinary Nigerians.
“We hope that those concerned will have a rethink and make the welfare and security of ordinary Nigerians a priority in the coming year, it is not too late to revisit the 2024 budget.
Eighteen-Eleven Media