•Says funds could revive Nigeria’s Teaching Hospitals

By BONIFACE AKARAH

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised the Federal Government’s reported expenditure of $9 million on foreign lobbyists in Washington, describing it as a reflection of “waste, corruption, propaganda, lies and negative prioritisation” in public governance.

In a statement posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday, Obi said it was “tragic and concerning” that Nigerian leaders continue to favour wasteful spending over initiatives capable of improving citizens’ quality of life.

He argued that the reported lobbying cost was only “a small fraction of the global waste occurring in the same manner,” adding that it mirrored what he called “the disgraceful state of Nigeria.”

Obi said the impact of such spending choices could be seen in Nigeria’s Human Development Index (HDI) record, noting that the country has remained in the low HDI category for 35 years, from 1990 to 2025. By contrast, he said countries such as China and Indonesia had progressed to higher development categories through deliberate leadership choices.

“The achievements of these nations were not the result of fate, miracles, or natural endowments,” Obi said. “They were the result of choices and the cumulative effects of good and bad leadership.”

Linking the $9 million expenditure to domestic realities, Obi said the amount — estimated at about ?14 billion — could have been invested in Nigeria’s failing healthcare system, where the country now records the lowest life expectancy globally and ranks among the top two countries worldwide for maternal mortality.

“Instead of investing in life-saving systems, we spend millions trying to obscure our failures,” he said.

To illustrate his point, Obi referenced the 2024 capital budget allocations to six federal teaching hospitals across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, which together total about ?13.9 billion. He listed allocations to the University College Hospital, Ibadan; Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria; University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu; University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City; University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin; and University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri.

According to him, the funds spent on foreign lobbyists “could have funded the entire capital budget of at least one major teaching hospital in each zone,” with direct benefits for healthcare delivery, survival rates and life expectancy.

“The funds are available; what is lacking are prioritisation, discipline, and effective leadership,” Obi said.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain described the situation as “unacceptable,” arguing that public resources should serve Nigerians rather than be used for overseas image management.

“Every naira of taxpayers’ money should serve the Nigerian people,” he said, adding that citizens were “dying in failing hospitals while the government pays foreigners to pretend that everything is fine.”

Obi concluded by reiterating his long-standing reform message, stating: “We cannot continue to live in an illusion while our reality deteriorates. A New Nigeria is POssible.”