Obi Criticizes Federal Government's Allocation of N1 Billion for University Hostels Amid N10 Billion Park Funding
Obi alleged that despite Nigeria's low educational standings, the government was "budgeting a paltry N1 billion for the construction of hostels in 12 tertiary institutions while N10 billion is going for the building of car parks and recreational facilities."
AKACHI NOEL 
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the last general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has criticized the Federal Government for allocating N1 billion for the construction of hostels in 12 tertiary institutions. Obi described the government's actions as financial recklessness and a misplacement of priorities in the allocation of funds.
In a statement released by the spokesman of Peter Obi Media Reach, Yunusa Tanko, Obi called the continued deployment of public resources to nonessential areas of development unacceptable. He highlighted Nigeria's poor and embarrassing position in global school enrollment averages.
Obi alleged that despite Nigeria's low educational standings, the government was "budgeting a paltry N1 billion for the construction of hostels in 12 tertiary institutions while N10 billion is going for the building of car parks and recreational facilities."
In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, the former Anambra State governor stated, "As the giant of Africa, I remain concerned about our fiscal indiscipline as a nation. Imagine the situation in our Education sector where the global average of secondary school enrollment is above 80 percent, while Nigeria is 28 percent. The global average of tertiary school enrollment is above 55 percent, while Nigeria is less than 15 percent. Yet, our budget for the National Assembly Car Parks is N6 billion. The budget for the National Assembly Recreational Facilities is N4 billion. Approved for the Construction of Hostels in 12 tertiary institutions is just N1 billion. It is time for us to stop this financial indiscipline and embrace financial discipline by prioritizing the allocation of resources to critical areas of human and national development."
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An aide to the President, who requested anonymity, responded by stating that Obi got his facts wrong. The aide clarified that the government planned to spend N12 billion (N1 billion each) as a special intervention for the provision of hostels in the selected higher institutions.
"Playing an opposition goes beyond dancing to the gallery. How can someone who aspired to be president be amplifying and elevating falsehoods? It is not compulsory that he must comment on every policy, especially on the one he has little or no knowledge about," the aide said.
