Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election, has criticized the federal government’s confirmation of the approval of N3 billion for the verification of the national register of the poor.
Obi expressed his surprise at the approval and emphasized that the significant amount could have been prudently and transparently managed for actual poverty alleviation. He pointed out that such expenditures come at a time when there is a need for extensive manpower training to keep the workforce productive.
In a statement, Obi highlighted the disparities in budget allocation, noting that the approved sum for the verification of the national register of the poor is more than three times the budget allocated to the National Library. He questioned the necessity of such a large amount for verification and stressed the importance of redirecting funds toward effective poverty alleviation.
Obi also raised concerns about the lack of regular verification of data for poverty alleviation and urged leaders to prioritize expenditures on critical areas of national development and security. He emphasized the need for leaders to sacrifice personal comfort for the greater good of society, especially for the less privileged, to address the challenges of poverty in the nation.
