NEWS
Obi Considers Tinubu’s 2024 Fiscal Budget ‘Crazy’
. . . Laments Frivolous Allocation Of Over N20bn For VP’s House
Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi has put the proposed 2024 budget of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration under the microscope, lamenting the crazy wastefulness enshrined therein.
Obi claimed that he was still studying the document, which is being hurriedly passed by the National Assembly, took to his verified X handle to express grave concerns that priorities were being misplaced.
He expressed firm conviction that something was fundamentally wrong with the way Nigeria was being led at the moment, drawing examples from the provision for housing the Vice President, Kashim Shettima Mustapha.
According to Obi, “I am compelled to ask: what is exactly wrong with us as a country?”
It beat Obi’s imagination why budgetary allocation for housing Mustapha would cover the cost of annual salaries for 3,000 professors, when Nigeria was in dire need of human capital development, healthcare, while grappling with unemployment and underemployment challenges.
He pointed out that Nigeria, “budgeted the sum of N20.5 billion for the housing of the Vice President,” while maintaining the status of “the world’s poverty capital”, yet “more people are falling into poverty”, at such speed that several “Nigerians not knowing where their next meal will come from”.
Obi pointed to the state of health facilities in Nigeria and level of unemployment and wondered what such a colossal amount could do in such critical areas.
He lamented “that 99.9% of Nigerians can only dream of living in the current residence of the Vice President,” while some even the in employment of the Federal Government are not being paid.
In his analyses, Obi noted that “the salary of a professor in a Nigerian university is about N400,000, which without removing tax is about N5 million a year.
“What we have budgeted for the housing of the Vice President who is already luxuriously housed is, therefore, the annual salary of about 3000 professors!”
He made examples of quality decisions made by past leaders like late Gen Murtala Mohammed, who turned down land allocated for his presidential mansion and ordered that it should be developed into the popular 1004 flats in the Victoria Island area of Lagos.
“We have had leaders that were exemplary in the past.
“Most Nigerians may not know that the popular 1004 flats in Lagos, was a land allocated for the building of a Presidential Mansion for the then Head of State, General Murtala Mohammed.
“He sternly turned down the offer and instructed that the land should be used to build blocks of flats for civil servants.
Below is the full text of what Obi wrote on X in a series of tweets.
Obi wrote, “Even as I am still studying the 2024 fiscal budget as presented to the National Assembly last week, I cannot wait as I am compelled to ask: what is exactly wrong with us as a country?
“I ask this question because it is hard for me to understand some of the recent happenings in our nation, in these critical times. The recent news about a budget provision of N15 billion for the construction of a new residence for the Vice President is both shocking and disheartening, considering the many important challenges facing our nation.
“Just recently in the Supplementary Budget, the sum of N2.5 billion was included for the renovation of the Vice President’s residence in Abuja, which means that he already has a residence.
“Again, during the budget presentation, I heard the sum of N3 billion was allocated for the renovation of the Vice President’s residence in Lagos.
“If we total all these sums, we would have budgeted the sum of N20.5 billion for the housing of the Vice President at this critical time when we are not just the world’s poverty capital, but more people are falling into poverty, with so many Nigerians not knowing where their next meal will come from.
“Our health facilities have collapsed, and unemployment is skyrocketing.
“I am convinced that 99.9% of Nigerians can only dream of living in the current residence of the Vice President. Several people employed in the universities are not being paid.
“Just to give an example, the salary of a professor in a Nigerian university is about N400,000, which without removing tax is about N5 million a year.
“What we have budgeted for the housing of the Vice President who is already luxuriously housed is, therefore, the annual salary of about 3000 professors! This is the finance needed to develop the much-needed human capital.
“The budget of N5 billion for student loans, which is yet to be disbursed is only a tiny percentage of the cost of the Vice President’s new home.
“We are projecting to use four times the amount for educating ALL Nigerian indigent students to house the Vice President, and we are being told there is nothing wrong with us.
“I am sure the major teaching hospitals in Nsukka, Lagos, Ibadan, and Zaria did not receive this much capital vote in the budget this year.
“We have had leaders that were exemplary in the past.
“Most Nigerians may not know that the popular 1004 flats in Lagos, was a land allocated for the building of a Presidential Mansion for the then Head of State, General Murtala Mohammed.
“He sternly turned down the offer and instructed that the land should be used to build blocks of flats for civil servants.
“That is the kind of sacrificial leadership worth emulating. Our leaders must therefore stop the recklessness and insensitivity to the plight of the masses.
“We need leaders who show compassion and are willing to sacrifice for common progress and development. Such compassionate and frugal leaders are critical in our journey to the New Nigeria. –PO”
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national football team, the Flamingos, following their historic qualification for the final of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
The President commended the team for their impressive 3-1 victory over Brazil in Wednesday’s semi-final, describing their achievement as a remarkable milestone that has brought immense pride and joy to Nigerians at home and abroad.
In a statement issued on Thursday, November 5, by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu also praised the coaching crew and everyone whose hard work and support contributed to the team’s successful campaign.
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With the Flamingos set to face Japan in the final, the President urged the players to remain focused, confident and determined as they pursue the historic world title.
“I encourage you to approach the final with the same fighting spirit and belief that have brought you this far. I have confidence in your ability to make history by winning the coveted world title,” he said.
Tinubu also called on Nigerians to rally behind the young players, describing them as national ambassadors whose achievements continue to showcase the country’s sporting excellence.
He said the team’s performance would inspire a new generation of girls to pursue their dreams without limitations.
“Once again, Nigeria is proud of you. Go for the trophy, Flamingos!” the President added.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has disclosed its support for healthcare infrastructure in Sokoto State through the donation and subsequent handover of an Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) to the state government.
The development was contained in the company’s September 2026 Monthly Operations and Financial Report, which also highlighted its financial performance, oil and gas production, pipeline infrastructure and other operational activities.
According to the report, the Sokoto State Commissioner for Health visited the NNPC Foundation and NNPC Limited on September 1, 2026, to present a letter of appreciation to the Foundation for donating the Infectious Diseases Hospital and handing it over to the Sokoto State Government.
SEE MORE: Tinubu Promises to Boost Local Production with NNPC Refineries
The engagement provided an opportunity for the state government to formally acknowledge the Foundation’s intervention and support towards strengthening healthcare infrastructure in Sokoto State.
The report identified the engagement as part of the NNPC Foundation’s public impact initiatives.
NNPC Records ₦509bn September Profit
On its financial performance, NNPC recorded a profit after tax of ₦509 billion in September 2026, representing an 18.1 per cent increase compared with the previous month.
The company’s revenue also rose to ₦4.608 trillion from ₦3.74 trillion recorded in August, representing an increase of approximately 23.2 per cent.
Cumulative statutory payments to the Federation increased by 17.4 per cent, rising from ₦9.49 trillion between January and August to ₦11.14 trillion between January and September 2026.
Crude Oil and Gas Production
The report showed that average crude oil and condensate production stood at 1.70 million barrels per day during the period.
Natural gas production increased to 7,789 million standard cubic feet per day, while total hydrocarbon production reached 3.04 million barrels of oil equivalent per day.
The monthly operational summary also presented production and sales trends for crude oil, condensate and natural gas.
Pipeline Infrastructure Records Progress
On infrastructure development, NNPC reported 100 per cent availability of its upstream pipelines.
The company also disclosed that the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) Gas Pipeline had reached 100 per cent completion, while the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline stood at 95 per cent completion.
According to the report, the OB3 River Niger Crossing pipeline had been commissioned and operationalised.
For the AKK pipeline, NNPC said sustained collaboration with stakeholders was helping to accelerate construction and pre-commissioning activities towards achieving early gas delivery to Abuja in 2026.
NNPC Reports 54% Retail Station Availability
The report also highlighted the availability of petrol at NNPC retail stations across the country, putting the nationwide Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) availability level at 54 per cent.
A geographical map showing retail station availability across different parts of Nigeria was included in the monthly operational summary.
NNPC Outlines Strategic Production Efforts
On efforts to sustain production growth, NNPC listed accelerated restoration of shut-in wells and facilities, production optimisation and well interventions among its priorities.
The company also highlighted efforts to strengthen facility reliability and preventive maintenance, address infrastructure and operational constraints, improve community engagement and resolve storage, tank-top and export infrastructure challenges.
These measures, according to the report, are aimed at sustaining production growth and improving operational efficiency across its oil and gas assets.
Former General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), John Ejoha Odah, has urged the Federal Government to develop a comprehensive employment strategy that provides jobs for young Nigerians before they graduate from educational institutions.
Odah said the government must adopt proactive employment planning by projecting the number of graduates expected to enter the labour market annually and making adequate arrangements to absorb them.
He made the call during an appearance on NTA’s Good Morning Nigeria on Wednesday, where he blamed the country’s persistent unemployment challenge on the failure of successive administrations to sustain national development plans.
ALSO SEE: Nigeria’s Unemployment Rate Drops To 4.3% In Q2 2024 – NBS
According to him, Nigeria’s political leadership has abandoned young people to their fate by failing to implement deliberate policies that create employment opportunities.
“The fundamental problem that we have in this country is the fact that our ruling elite have abandoned the Nigerian youth to their fate,” Odah said.
He explained that Nigeria previously operated five-year national development plans, which enabled the government to anticipate future employment needs and make arrangements for young people expected to graduate within two to five years.
The former NLC leader traced the worsening unemployment situation to the abandonment of national development plans between the late 1970s and 1985.
He also recalled the establishment of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), explaining that the agency was created as a stopgap measure to provide employment and self-employment opportunities for young Nigerians.
Odah, however, stressed that the NDE was never intended to serve as the country’s primary driver of employment.
“What we need is a comprehensive employment scheme based on development programmes and industries,” he said.
He further disclosed that during his time in the labour movement, efforts were made to establish a national job summit involving the Ministry of Labour, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and other government institutions.
According to him, the initiative produced an employment plan presented to the National Executive Council, targeting the creation of at least four million jobs within four years across the federal, state and local governments.
Odah said the proposal was developed around 2005 but was abandoned after the administration under which it was initiated left office.
He expressed concern that Nigeria has yet to establish a coherent employment strategy capable of addressing the needs of young people entering the labour market.
The former labour leader warned that failure to address youth unemployment could further encourage social challenges, including irregular migration, as Nigerians continue to seek better opportunities abroad.
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