Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has faulted the Federal Government’s approval of ₦142 billion for the construction of modern bus terminals across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
In a statement issued on Friday titled “₦142 Billion for Bus Terminals,” Obi described the decision as another display of poor judgment, weak leadership, and mismanagement of the nation’s limited resources.
“The difference between the success and failure of development in any nation lies in how it prioritises scarce resources,” he said. “The announcement that ₦142 billion will be spent on building one bus terminal in each of the six geopolitical zones only reinforces the lack of competence, lack of focus, and poor leadership currently on display.”
Obi drew a sharp comparison with the health sector, stressing that the combined budgetary allocation for all federal teaching hospitals and psychiatric centres in the 2024 budget is less than ₦100 billion.
“This is deeply troubling, especially when health is one of the most vital pillars of development and yet remains severely underfunded,” he added. “The World Health Organization recently reported that more than 20 million Nigerians are living with mental health challenges. Against this background, allocating ₦142 billion to bus terminals instead of healthcare is not just a misplaced priority but a tragic irony. This is not governance.”
The Federal Executive Council had recently endorsed the project as part of a broader plan to upgrade transport infrastructure nationwide. However, Obi insisted that investments in healthcare and other critical sectors should rank far above such initiatives if Nigeria is to achieve genuine development.
