Former Anambra State governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has strongly condemned the reported sponsorship of the wives of 21 local government chairmen in Adamawa State on a foreign trip to Turkey, describing it as a “glaring case of waste and a mockery of the essence of governance.”
In a statement on Sunday, Obi expressed dismay that scarce public resources were allegedly spent on what he termed a frivolous venture “under the guise of leadership training,” while critical sectors such as education and healthcare in the state remain underfunded.
According to reports, the trip, estimated to have cost about ₦600 million, was funded with local government resources despite pressing needs at the grassroots.
Obi noted that basic education, which falls within the primary responsibility of local governments, continues to suffer neglect with many children out of school, inadequate classrooms, and poorly motivated teachers.
“It is disheartening that at a time when local government pensioners are likely being owed, teachers are struggling under economic hardship, and children lack access to quality education, scarce resources are channeled into foreign trips for the wives of local government chairmen who have no public office,” Obi said.
The former governor argued that the money could have been better utilized to address poverty and education challenges in the state. He suggested that if the same amount were invested in women’s micro-credit schemes, at an average of ₦100,000 per beneficiary, 6,000 women-led businesses could have been supported—benefiting at least 300 women in each of Adamawa’s 21 local government areas.
Obi further explained that the over half a billion naira could have funded about 30 blocks of six classrooms at an average cost of ₦20 million each, thereby transforming the lives of countless children and communities.
While commending Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri for his ongoing infrastructure projects in Yola, Obi stressed that Adamawa remains in urgent need of investment in education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation.
He called for a return to prudent and people-oriented governance, insisting that local government funds belong to the people—including “the market woman, the farmer, the teacher, the pensioner, and every ordinary Nigerian who depends on government for basic amenities.”
“Anything short of that is an abuse of office and should not be condoned,” Obi declared.
