The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential elections has taken to his social media handle, clamouring about the importance of the National Assembly hospital over that of the people of Nigeria. His outcry is based on the misplaced priority of the Nigerian government. In a country where the health sector is in a deplorable state with lots of abandoned projects, the National Assembly takes a whopping fifteen billion naira.
In the early hours of today, he took to his X account, sharing his grievance once again about the 2024 budget. He tweeted, “I will remain persistent in my expressions of deep concern about the 2024 budget because of its critical importance to the lives of the citizens, especially the poor in our midst. I will continue to do so until the end of the year as a matter of patriotic engagement. This is because the budget’s many negatives have far-reaching implications for the development of our dear nation and the well-being of our citizens. It is evident that there are items in the budget that do not align with our current circumstances, and it is imperative to call for a review and appropriate virement. Allocating our scarce resources to high-priority areas of need is essential for the well-being of the nation. For instance, allocating N15 billion solely for the National Assembly hospital is unacceptable, especially when it exceeds five times the budgetary allocation to the National Hospital or the combined capital vote of our six major teaching hospitals across the nation, namely; University College Hospital, Ibadan; University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu; Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria; Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife; Jos University Teaching Hospital; and University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital. This disparity reflects a low level of care for the rest of society.
“Similarly, justifying a budgetary allocation of N15.3 billion for the National Assembly library project and procurement of books, including the e-Library, in a country without a National Library is very disappointing. The National Library has been under construction for the past 20 years, and its budgetary allocation for 2024 is less than 1 billion naira, which makes the National Assembly Library budget 15 times more. Again, the National Assembly Library budget is more than the combined budget of the top national universities’ libraries, that desperately need the libraries for research, teaching, and learning purposes.
“Again, the National Assembly Library budget is more than the combined budget of the top national universities’ libraries, that desperately need the libraries for research, teaching, and learning purposes. In an era where science, technology and innovation are crucial for the nation’s future, such allocations demonstrate a lack of foresight and basic awareness of global trends and urgent national priorities. This level of insensitivity to the present situation and challenges faced by the people should not be tolerated by any development-minded nation. Every scarce resource must be directed towards productive sectors of the economy. It is time for our nation to reassess its priorities, revisit the budget, eliminate frivolous expenditures, and channel our resources properly for the benefit of the people. No great nation is built on a foundation of waste and frivolity.”
By Chidimma NWAFOR
