Former minister of education Oby Ezekwesili has described President Bola Tinubu’s administration as “financially reckless and profligate” by ignoring the agitation over hunger and economic hardship to purchase a presidential jet
The presidency on Monday announced the purchase of a new Airbus A330 to replace the 19-year-old Boeing B737-700 procured under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Ezekwesili who spoke on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television emphasized that the administration has worsened the nation’s economy.
On her X handle Oby who was also the vice president of the World Bank, Africa Region said President Bola Tinubu has no argument to justify the purchase of a 14-year-old aircraft as a presidential jet.
Posting on X, Ezekwesili wrote: “No argument justifies the purchase of a 14 year old Airbus plane by the @NGRPresident @officialABAT for his indulgence.
“No argument that can persuade reasonable people justifies this latest profligacy.
“Continue with your obscene indulgence until the Day your hungry citizens can no longer bear to sleep on their empty stomachs.
“I hope it is now evident to all eyes why they needed to “grab it…snatch it ….. and run away with it”.
“All that desecration of our Democracy was to acquire Power for nothing but a self-indulgent lifestyle at the expense of the people. Nothing else. How crass! Just look at the country and its people. One Day shall be One Day.”
While entertaining various questions from the News platform, Oby stated that Nigerians should be “vexed” about the “fiscal profligacy” of the federal government in the middle of the huge debt profile of the country.
She added that the current administration should not be shown concern for inheriting a bad economy — as many supporters an active players strongly stood behind the past economic policies of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Oby Ezekwesili Said “All the data and economic indicators show clearly that they have not done a good job of the economy,”.
“They have worsened it. They could have avoided the fiscal recklessness and rascality that we see.
“If you are a Nigerian, you should be vexed at this government. All we have seen this government since it came into office is fiscal profligacy.
“The political class has decided that they are bandits against the people of Nigeria.”
“I don’t see how it is feasible that the topmost priority of the government that has the level of biting hunger in the land and poverty, is to consider the purchase of a befitting aircraft for the president, construction of a N20 billion house for the vice-president, purchase of all kinds of funny looking cars in the fleet of national assembly members and executive,” Ezekwesili added.
Oby emphatically said she possesses the “moral authority” to criticise the current government because “I served this country. They want everything about what I earned? They can find it in their folders”.
“As a minister, they have something called ministers’ imprest. My permanent secretary will tell you that I did not touch a dime,” she said.
“So when people say ‘you were in government’. I was in a sane government. I wasn’t in a government that watches women scream: ‘We’re hungry, we haven’t eaten’.” She stated.
