The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2024 general elections, Peter Obi, said President Bola Tinubu emulated him in sinking boreholes to provide access to water for the poor.
Obi said this in a statement issued by the Peter Obi Media Reach, in Abuja and signed by Dr. Tanko Yunusa.
Obi was reacting the Presidential directive that 400 boreholes be constructed nationwide as part of a charity initiative to honour the memory of his late mother, Mrs Abibatu Magaji.
Obi said it is unthinkable that in a country where poverty is prevalent and the record of out-of-school children is on the rise and healthcare is in a comatose state “yet the government is placing priority on bogus projects like coastal highway, mansions, flyovers and buying of jets etc as a priority.
However, he advised that “this new line of thinking from the President should be reflected in the government projects which at the moment are not addressing the yearnings of the poor in our midst.
The statement reads: “The office of the Peter Obi Media Reach, POMR wishes to thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for harkening to the call of our Principal, the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi to wealthy Nigerians to join him in ensuring the provision of boreholes across the country for the downtrodden in our midst.
“Obi embarked on the project after witnessing what many Nigerians go through trying to get basic needs like drinking water.
“He had already installed some Boreholes as a short time solution in some Northern states Nasarawa, Bauchi, Kano, Zaria, Kebbi, Suleja Niger State and Sokoto where the situation is acute.
“At the special anniversary of the death of his mother, Alhaja Abibatu Magaji in Abuja at the weekend, the President announced a nationwide project to construct 400 boreholes as a continuation of charity in the late mother’s memory.
“The POMR commends this spirit of charity from the President as it’s in line with our principal’s desire to attend to the poor in our midst.
“POMR would like to advise that this new line of thinking from the President should be reflected in the government projects which at the moment are not addressing the yearnings of the poor in our midst.
“It remains shameful that in a nation where millions have no access to clean drinking water, millions of children are out of school and have no access to decent healthcare with millions of youths out of jobs, yet the government is placing priority on bogus projects like coastal highway, mansions, flyovers and buying of jets etc as a priority.”
