Obi to FG: Disclose Details of Financial Support to Ameliorate Hardship in States

*Says he has not left Labour Party  

*Sunday Karimi alleges money released by President Bola Tinubu to governors already in forex market  

Chuks Okocha and Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has taken Senate President Godswill Akpabio to task over his recent revelation of the financial support of N1.1 trillion doled out to state governments to help ameliorate the present hardship in the country, urging that the federal government be transparent on the matter.

 This is as the Chairman, Committee on Senate Services, Senator Sunday Karimi, has alleged that part of the multi billion naira released by the federal government to the governors in the 36 states might have ended up in the forex market.
Karimi who disclosed this yesterday in Abuja, said both the fiscal and monetary policies initiated by the President Bola Tinubu’s administration were not working because of some corrupt privileged Nigerians in high places.

Obi made this call via his official X handle yesterday saying, “While the federal government is to be commended for offering such a huge support, considering the difficult times people are going through, it is pertinent, for the interest of good governance and transparency, that the details of the disbursement of such support be explained further, so that the public, the masses for whom the support is meant, can follow through and ensure that it is utilised appropriately to the benefit of the people.”

He said that while waiting for the details of the support of the federal government to the states, he appealed “that concerted efforts should be made to ensure that the resources are genuinely and transparently invested in productive ventures to alleviate present hardship and help the future growth of the country.
“We must stop this unproductive habit of throwing scarce and borrowed money at immediate problems, and consumption, but rather through an articulated plan, invest aggressively in production, in a clear, visible, and transparent manner, in which people can see the future benefits.”

Obi further stressed the need to be more deliberate to move to production in order to overcome the challenges of hardship bedeliving the nation.
“Now more than ever, our nation needs a clear and urgent move from consumption to production by prioritising and investing in human development which will go towards providing a sure and lasting solution to many of our challenges of today.

“That is the surest way to put us on a path of developmental growth. This is the spirit of the New Nigeria we are clamouring for,”Obi said.
Meanwhile, Obi yesterday dismissed reports that he has parted ways with the Labour Party, blaming the report as the handiwork of mischief makers
A statement by one of his media aides, Jude Nwolisa, said that Obi is presently concerned on how to make Nigeria work, stating that those trying to destabilise the Labour Party are the enemies of democracy in Nigeria.

“The Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR) wishes to outrightly dismiss trending fake and fallacious news stories suggesting that he was parting ways with the Labour Party.
“This is not true and it did not originate from Obi or the Obidient Movement but from mischief makers bent on sowing the seed of discord in the party.
“These rising misdemeanors on the party did not start today as they set out to destroy and disorganise the party all to get at Obi and derail the inevitable journey of rescuing Nigeria.

“Presently our principal is preoccupied with making Nigeria work not on partisan politics which ended on October 26, 2023, when the Supreme Court of the land took their final decision on the general elections.”
The statement further said, “Those bent on creating a crisis in the Labour Party are clearly enemies of democracy wishing for the failed status quo to remain.
“Obi’s focus at the moment is on creating an environment where democracy is to be practiced according to the defined tenets not the rascality and all forms of impunity prevalent in the country today

“Peter Obi therefore would like to assure Nigerians, particularly the Obidient family that his way with Labour is unshaken and intact and that the struggle to rescue Nigeria from the criminal gangs holding it down will not stop until it’s achieved through the will of the Nigerian people.”
Meanwhile, Senator Karimi who represents Kogi West Senatorial District said in a statement yesterday, “Most of the Bureau De Change (BDC) today are owned by these same set of people.  They are doing all sorts contrary to the lofty plan of President Tinubu.  

“The recent multi billion naira given to state governments for palliative measures to reduce the problems of the suffering masses, most of the money will find its way to forex market.

“This will further lead to devaluation of  the naira and the masses will be at the receiving end because the prices of goods and services will go haywire as we are currently witnessing in the country.”

Karimi, who advocated national reorientation for Nigerians as the practical way to tackle the multifaceted challenges facing Nigeria as a nation, insisted that President Tinubu meant well for the country, caling on Nigerians to exhibit positive attitude to his economic reforms to succeed.

 “As we attempt to get things right, we have to deal with the plague that is rooted in our National lifestyles.

“That is the plague of getting rich through any means,  no matter how dirty. That’s the reason kidnapping has remained a big time business in Nigeria.

“That is why people are stealing from government every day and getting away with plea bargains.

” There is need for national reorientation  to deal with root of all our problems.

“He that covereth  sins shall not prosper, but he that confesseth and forsake them, the Lord will have mercy.

“Floating of naira in the Forex market is not working yet, because of the inherent corruption and indiscipline in our national livestyles.

” Let us face the reality, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu mean well for our nation by introducing the single exchange rate, instead of continuing with multiple exchange rates that he met, through which some privileged Nigerians had turned themselves into multi billionaires  owning  financial houses all over the place at the expense of our country.

“To be frank, many Nigerians are not patriotic, the tendency is always to defraud the system and get rich quickly. They will cut corners, round trip, warehouse dollars with stolen funds.

” As a distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I make bold to say that once the National reorientation is vigorously pursued, within the next six months or so, Nigeria will change for a better country and a toast of the international community especially with the type of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the nation’s President and crops of the lawmakers at the National Assembly”.

“It is not magic, just let us put this into test for months and watch what will happen to our country, Nigeria has what it will take to make it to rise again and take her rightful position in the comfy of Nations.”