EDUGATE: ‘This Can Only Happen In Nigeria’ – Peter Obi Frowns At Tinubu’s Approval Of N3bn For Poverty Register Verification

As Nigerians continue to condemn the approval granted the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to spend N3 billion for verification of the register for poor people, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has frowned at the approval saying it can only happen in Nigeria.

Obi, while sharing his thoughts on Wednesday, lamented the sorry state of the national library and the low budget it received in the 2024 appropriation act.

Recall a memo signed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila to the humanitarian ministry, indicated that the sum of N3bn was approved by President Bola Tinubu to verify the register of poor Nigerians in order to ascertain actual figures.

However, the suspended minister which received the approval, Betta Edu, disbursed the allocation to companies, some of which were not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

This emerged after a memo written by Edu, who was health commissioner in Cross River State, had requested the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation to pay N585 million into a personal account for the “implementation of grants to vulnerable groups.”

Edu denied any wrongdoing and said no extant law forbids it.

While the furore over the illegal request was going on, the suspended minister who was the National Women Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) before her ministerial appointment was caught for approving huge amounts of money for flight tickets to Kogi State without an airport.

The minister alongside her team meanwhile travelled by road to Kogi State while collecting over N72 million, documents showed.

No explanation was provided for the approval.

In the main, the suspended minister is undergoing grilling at the anti-graft agency.

When it appeared the last of the alleged fraud had been heard, it soon emerged that a memo from the Chief of Staff to the President actually granted an approval for the verification of the poverty register which was executed within two weeks in December, 2023.

Obi said it’s not only surprising but very sad that verification could receive such an allocation.

“It is very surprising to hear that the sum of N3 billion was approved for verification of the national register of the poor.

“This can only happen in Nigeria. I have maintained that we must decisively deal with the issue of cost of governance in Nigeria now as a matter of urgency.

“Sadly, this very huge amount approved just for verification of the national register of the poor is more than three times the amount of N908,699,435 which was budgeted for our National Library,” the former vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said.

He added, “This is happening at a time in our nation when we need all the manpower training to keep our work force productive.

“Our national library, a very critical infrastructure in our nation, seemingly abandoned, lacks books and educational materials.”

He argued that, “The same amount would have made a significant impact, if prudently and transparently managed.

“Moreso, with more than half of our population battling with absolute and multidimensional poverty, one wonders why such a huge sum was approved for just verification of national register of the poor, when the same amount could have been directed towards actual poverty alleviation.

“This approval raises a fundamental question: how come the data for poverty alleviation has not been verified on a regular basis?

“The inability of we the leaders to prioritise our expenditure and focus on the critical areas of national development, and national security, are the challenges weighing down on our nation today.

“Unless we begin to sacrifice our personal comfort for the good of society, and begin to care more for the people, especially the less privileged ones, our nation will continue to grapple with all forms of societal ills caused by high levels of poverty,” Obi said.