- Safiu Kehinde
The 2023 Labour Party’s Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has again faulted President Bola Tinubu’s planned 12-day trip to Japan and Brazil.
NPO earlier Reported that the President will be departing Abuja on Thursday as announced in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, Tinubu will have a brief stop-over in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, before heading to Japan ahead of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), scheduled to hold in Yokohama, Japan from the 20th to 22nd of August.
After the event, the President will proceed to Brasilia, Brazil, for a state visit from 24th to 25th of August at the invitation of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
While in Brazil, he is expected to hold bilateral talks with his host and participate in a business forum aimed at attracting Brazilian investment to Nigeria.
Reacting to the development in a statement issued on his official X handle, Obi accused Tinubu of being indifferent and insensitive to the deplorable state of Nigeria which he claimed deserves full attention and presence.
He charged the President to create strict travelling and work schedule which will enable him focus more on the troubles facing the nation rather than being a tourist.
“Amid the deplorable state of our nation in all ramifications, we have a virtually indifferent President who has continued to display insensitivity to our situation.
“How can anyone explain that a President who came from Brazil recently and met with the President is returning to the same country, leaving the various degrees of challenges at home unresolved?
“Our President must know that he’s not a tourist, but the Chief Executive of a troubled nation, so he must have consciousness, strict work schedules and a strict travelling schedule to show that he has a troubled country to quickly return to.” Obi wrote.
The former Anambra state governor further described the President’s trip as worrisome as he accused him of not making similar visits to troubled states across the country.
Recalling Tinubu’s recent visit to Brazil for the BRICS Summit, Obi faulted his departure from Nigeria days before the event.
He claimed that the actual member countries of the economic bloc often arruve a day or two before the event unlike Nigeria who is just an observer.
“The itinerary is silent on the President’s return date to his visibly troubled nation. The situation we find ourselves in is deeply worrisome.
“Our President, who has not found it worthy to visit any of our troubled states, takes joy in travelling to foreign countries at the slightest invitation or excuse.
“Often departing several days even before the events he’s invited to. In his last trip, for instance, he had a one-week State visit to St lucia before attending the BRICS Summit, where Nigeria was merely invited as an observer, though the role was dressed up as “partner” to the invitation, which was more significant.
“The leaders of actual member countries who attended only arrived a day or two at most for the event. Nigeria’s insecurity situation, economic hardship, and human suffering have reached their peak.” He said.
While reiterating the poor state of the country, Obi charged Tinubu to embark on more visitation to Nigerian states to see the plight of the people.
He held that the President’s planned trip of 12 days should have been at most a 5-day trip as the event he was invited to in Japan commences on the 20th.
“We are now counted among the most insecure nations, the most fragile economies, and the hungriest countries in the world.
“This dire reality demands the full attention of Mr. President, and his travels should be more within our troubled states and communities, spending time on the ground, and taking decisive action to alleviate the people’s suffering rather than these overseas conferences that contribute little or no tangible value to our nation’s woes.
“And where the trip is necessary at all, it could be attended in just a few days rather than indulging in prolonged, unnecessary absences from a country that requires 24/7 attention.
“What our nation needs now is security of lives and properties, economic stability and ensuring that our people have food on their table. Our President’s planned trip of 12 days departing today, if necessary, should have been at most a 5-day trip as the event he was invited to in Japan commences on the 20th.
“Nigeria today demands competent leadership with capacity and compassion to start dealing with the problems besetting it with the presence and sacrifice required.
“Mr. President must, as a matter of urgency, commence tours of our states with the same enthusiasm he shows for jetting out of the country every month.
“These visits will enable him to see, listen and learn more about what Nigerians are going through. Though Nigerians know that our huge problems cannot be solved overnight, they want to see 100% effort and tireless commitment to solving them.” Obi added.