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The N150bn presidential jet
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has taken a swipe at President Bola Tinubu for buying a jet when millions of Nigerians have not access to basic amenities including good healthcare.
Obi, a guest on Sunday Politics, said if he becomes president, he would be a president that cares for his people and would not spend billions to buy a private jet because he won’t need one.
An example of what he says is the disconnect between the President Bola Tinubu administration’s actions which he has issues was the purchase of a new presidential jet last year.
“If I become president I will use the resources effectively, I cannot buy a new jet,” Obi said on the programme. “I don’t need one because you can go anywhere without a jet, I will never need one.
“I will not use 150 billion to buy a jet when 80 per cent of our primary health centres are not functioning.”
Asked about possible security implications that may arise if the President doesn’t have a jet, he dismissed such concerns, saying that as a governor of Anambra State, he never drove bullet proof cars.
“I was a governor, for my first four years, I drove 406, for the rest of it, I didn’t drive bullet proof cars. Nobody will decide to kill you if you are doing the right thing, it’s when you do the wrong thing that you will fear about death,” he said.
He insisted that insecurity does not justify buying private jets and bullet proof cars by leaders, saying “if your people are dying you should be ready to die.”
‘No Compassion’
The former Anambra State governor lamented what he described as lack of empathy by President Tinubu. He said that the president does not care much about the citizens.
He said that Nigerians need a president that truly cares about their wellbeing, adding that he would be such a president if elected to lead the country in 2027.
“People want to get up and see a president that cares, a president that shows compassion,” Obi said.
“Today we have a country without compassion, leadership without compassion does not exist, it is a minus, it is not good for a country.” (Channels TV)
