Obi raises concern on Tinubu’s absence after two weeks leave

A former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s continued absence from office after the expiration of his two weeks working leave, saying this shows he does not feel concerned about Nigeria challenges.

Obi who expressed concern noted that the president has exceeded the anticipated timeframe and should be present, given the immense tasks requiring attention in the country.

The Anambra State former governor noted that the continued absence of the president has further made the country to incure more expenses considering that the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, was made to leave the country for a meeting in Sweden, a location that is closer to Paris, France where Tinubu had gone to for his leave.

President Tinubu departed for the United Kingdom on October 2, 2024, for a two-week working leave and later left the UK for France while Shettima left Abuja on Wednesday for Sweden on a two-day visit to represent Nigeria in bilateral engagements with the Scandinavian nation.

The former governor in a statement shared through his social media handle on Friday, urged the president to prioritize citizen’s well-being while stating his action shows a lack of empathy for Nigerians struggling through hardship.

According to his statement: “While it is arguable that with the President and Vice President absent from the Villa , there is no vacancy in the Presidency, in a situation where both the President and Vice President are out of the country, as reported in the media yesterday, it’s concerning for a country with such myriads of domestic problems”

“The President had told us he would only be gone for 14 days. The 14 days have passed now, and we are waiting to see him in the country. One would have expected him to return earlier than expected, considering the volume of work that needs to be done in a troubled nation like ours”

“The untold hardship that has been unleashed on our people as a result of some of his administration’s policies is unimaginable and we need his urgent attention to pilot the nation out of this present situation. Again, since the President is reportedly in Paris, France, which is just about 833 nautical miles from Stockholm, Sweden, one wonders why he did not just attend the 2-day working visit to Sweden”

“He could simply have done it on his way back from France with his new powerful jet, which would have taken him a little over 2 hours. This would have saved time and the very scarce national resources we need critically at this time”

“Instead, he delegated the Vice President, who needed to travel 3055 nautical miles, over nine hours, and (about 4 times the travel time from Paris) Abuja, Nigeria, to Stockholm, Sweden, to represent him at the event. It would take about 4 times the time and distance it takes to travel from Paris to Stockholm to travel from Abuja to Stockholm”

“This does not represent the kind of fiscal responsibility and common sense that is expected of leaders whose people are facing severe hunger and poverty. This is the time to show true and committed leadership to the people by making decisions that prioritize the well-being of the people and effective management of the nation’s scarce resources in alleviating the sufferings of the people”.