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N15billion VP’s residence: Stop whining, you’re a hypocrite, Shettima attacks Obi
“President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima have left no stone unturned since they assumed office in the bid to wriggle the country out of the economic and social morass it had been enmeshed in. Under their watch, within a period of seven months, Nigeria’s foreign policy process and international relations have been reinforced with commendable results.”
These were the exact words, with which Vice President, Kashim Shettima, pushed back against attacks from Nigerians over the N15billion proposed by Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), for the completion of the official residence of the Vice President in Abuja, saying those kicking against the project, were not being sincere.
He particularly lashed out at Peter Obi, former Governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the February 25, 2023 election, accusing him of speaking out of the pains he still felt over his defeat by President Bola Tinubu and himself, who ran on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The VP wondered why the same Obi, who had as governor, ordered the completion of abandoned projects during his tenure in Anambra would rail against the same move by the Tinubu administration, saying it smacked of hypocrisy on his part, as the project in question came about not because he wanted to live in a new house but that the current government at the federal level desired to complete projects abandoned by previous governments.
In a statement signed by Stanley Nkwocha, his spokesman, the VP, admonished Obi to quietly lick his wounds from his defeat rather than whining endlessly over every move of the Tinubu administration, which he said were bold steps being taken in its determination to turn things around for the country.
The full statement, read: “We have taken note of statements credited to presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 presidential election, Mr. Peter Obi, in which he made yet another frail and futile attempt to paint the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration in bad light.
“For good 24 hours, Obi danced naked in the public square, trying to curry the attention of those who care to listen to his falsehood and warped opinions about waste. On Sunday, he accused the current administration of sponsoring over 1,400 delegates to Dubai for COP28.
“The next day, being Monday, the subject of his new found passion – armchair criticism – after his colossal loss at the presidential poll was the proposed N15.5 billion budgeted by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to renovate the house of the Vice President, which he claimed would pay the annual salary of 3,000 University Professors.
“Ordinarily, we wouldn’t have bothered to gratify Peter Obi with a response, especially when it is obvious that the Labour Party candidate is an unhealthy subject to post-election trauma.But it has become necessary to put the records straight. In his recent tirade against President Tinubu and his deputy, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Obi started another series of self-aggrandizement aimed at convincing Nigerians that he is the only person who has their interest at heart. But a clear shift of the veil will reveal deeply a man who is still sobbing after his woeful loss in the 2023 presidential election.
“For the records, unlike the “most brilliant, all knowing and Nigeria’s mirific but never-had President,” Mr Peter Obi, both President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, have never claimed to know it all or exhibit anything close to perfection in their dealings. If anything, they have always submitted to their human nature, leaving perfection to the Almighty God only.
“Giving the reactions and invocations generated by Mr Obi’s comments, however, it is necessary for the sake of history to clarify that the proposed plan for the construction of the Vice President’s official residence, for which budgetary allocation was made in the 2024 budget by the FCT Administration, was awarded by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. It was not originated by the present administration. This, Mr Obi, knows but chose to play dumb all in a bid to inflamate a targeted group of Nigerians and, as usual, score cheap political goals, accolades and praises.
“The project, which was reinitiated in 2010 and was funded by the Jonathan administration, was abandoned. Appalled by the sorry state of the uncompleted building that was now overtaken by weeds and reptiles over a decade after construction started about 13 years ago, the current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, felt it would be a waste to allow such a project started with public funds to continue to lie fallow; thus, in his wisdom and without the prompting of the Vice President, decided to resuscitate the building.
“We invite more cerebral Nigerians to crosscheck properly which should be considered a waste between Obi’s tantrums because the project has attracted government’s attention, given the decision by the current administration to complete vital abandoned projects. What is more wasteful and reckless than abandoning an edifice to rot and depreciate despite the amount that has been sunk into it over the years?
“We recall that while Obi was governor of Anambra State, he had insisted that contractors should return to site to complete abandoned projects, which he then never considered as a waste. If he did this while deploying ‘entailed wisdom and leadership’ to Ndi Anambra as a governor, the question now is: why should the same action by the Tinubu administration now be termed blue murder?
“Nigerians know that the issue of a befitting residence for the Vice President had been a recurring decimal in the budget of Nigeria since 2007. It did not start today, same for residences of the Senate President and the Speaker. The array of abandoned Federal Government projects littered all over the country is a national embarrassment that the current administration has taken a bold step to save the country from. This is why it has made it a priority that all abandoned projects must be completed before new ones are initiated, save for some on exceptional basis, either because of the need for strategic alignment or economic significance.
“Comparing the amount budgeted for the residence of the VP and salaries paid to Professors is an analogy taken too far. This is the only government that has repeatedly made it clear that the welfare of lecturers is paramount and the need to increase the budget of the educational sector is a gradual process in the face of the daunting security challenges it met on ground.
This same government directed that the backlog of salaries owed both teaching and non-teaching staff of universities be paid immediately despite the ‘no work, no pay’ order, while negotiations for their welfare continue in view of a wage package in 2024. The introduction of a student’s loan scheme is also a masterstroke that is targeted at ensuring that nobody, no matter his/her status, will be denied the right to quality education.
“Taking into cognisance the recent inflation rate, which has become a global phenomenon that Nigeria is not immune to, budgetary provisions are estimates aimed at advancing monies to complete projects that have bearings on the lives of the people. That the amount budgeted for various sectors are deemed to be on the high side is not unconnected with inflationary trends as being witnessed the world over. And since Mr Obi has qualms with this, he may as well explain to Nigerians why despite being a self acclaimed billionaire he and his likes continue importing all manner of junks, including toothpicks to sell to Nigerians all in a bid for his NEXT business empire to flourish at the detriment of our foreign exchange and economy.
“Curiously, it is under the Tinubu administration that Obi has suddenly “become a man,” with a shrill voice in the opposition camp. His claim about Nigerians needing leaders willing to make sacrifices for the nation’s development smacks of hypocrisy of the highest order. It appears the former Anambra State governor has forgotten so soon reports about the plethora of contracts he awarded in the twilight of his administration, including road contracts worth over N30 billion he awarded within a record period of three weeks.
“Nigerians have also not forgotten the investigation by the global International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ)-led Pandora Papers project which linked Obi to a number of secret business deals and relationships that he kept top secret, including businesses he surreptitiously set up and operated overseas. He later admitted that he did not declare these companies and the funds because he wasn’t aware that he was expected to declare assets or companies he jointly owns with his family members or anyone else as provided by the law.
“There is no other context to situate Obi’s sermon about waste other than the fact that he has refused to swallow the bitter pills of reality. It is pitiful that since he was mercilessly defeated by President Tinubu, he and his army of social media cohorts have continued to brazenly unleash a campaign of calumny against the President and now, his administration.
“But despite Obi’s divisive rhetoric, Nigerians have since put a final seal on religious and ethnic politicking so that the country can move forward against the wish of certain persons in the mold of Obi who have continued to fan the embers of division and falsehood just to create tension and spurn vexatious narratives in the polity.
“They have turned themselves into marketers-in-chief to attract direct foreign investments, all in a bid to turn around the nation’s economic fortune for good. But the likes of Obi have not for once applauded these efforts. Still labouring under post-election trauma, the Labour Party candidate and his ilk are bent on pulling down the Tinubu administration at all cost.
“We advise him and his fellow travellers in the opposition to accept defeat honourably, and put the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians first as patriotic citizens they claim to be. Nigerians are not so gullible to be hoodwinked by statements that fly in the face of common sense. Our candid advice for him is that he should join hands with the current administration in nation building instead of all these red herrings he is throwing around.
The Vice President is a very busy man. He has committed himself to serving Nigeria and helping President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to achieving his set goals and objectives. As his work attitude and skills speak to, Senator Kashim Shettima is a very serious-minded leader. He is not into dubious or phony politics of statistics manipulation or mind games. Leadership, to him, is a serious business and not a circus show!”
For Diezani Alison-Madueke, there is nothing more to prove to anyone as God has finally fought her battle and restored her dignity, with here exoneration from allegation of massive looting on Nigeria during her years as Minister of Petroleum Resources.
Emerging from the Southwark Crown Court in London, where she was eventually exculpated from blames after many months of trial, the former Minister, who had been living in the UK since 2015, as a fugitive, having escaped the claws of the government of Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s former President, which had accused her of multiple cases of sleaze, she told reporters that everything would be kept in abeyance to enable her enjoy her freedom which had been denied for so long.
But before then, she attributed her acquittal on bribery charges which said had ended years of “unjust vilification,” to the handiwork of God while thanking those who stood by her during the trial period she described as “arduous” and “traumatic.”
The court had freed the once very powerful Minister, who ended up in the petroleum ministry after hitherto serving in different capacities of all six charges after hours of deliberation on Wednesday, after six months of trial, which began in January when the UK government charged her in August 2023 over an alleged £100,000 bribe.
Part of the prosecution in the UK court was that she accepted bribes in the form of luxury goods and use of high-level properties from industry figures in return for awarding multi-million-pound oil and gas contracts during her time in office.
But in her defence, the former Minister through her lawyers, told the jury that she had limited control over oil contract approvals during her time in office, as most decisions were made before reaching her desk.
After the court agreed with her, she told reporters: “I’m just thankful to God. It’s been a very, very arduous and long, almost 11 years. It’s been traumatic not just for me but for my family, for friends, for all those who have stayed and supported, for my 93-year-old mother in Port Harcourt, for my son, and for all those who love us, friends and family. We’re surrounded by friends here. So it has been a hard journey.
“But I tell you this, God will always do as God wills, and God will be God. God is not a man that he should lie. So, when he promises you something, he will see it through.
“It has been almost 11 years I’ve been here. I did my job to the best of my ability, but like I said, God is not a man that he should lie. God is God, and we thank him.”
Also, in a statement issued by Bolouere Opukiri, her representative, Alison-Madueke said “a decade of unrelenting and unjust vilification, condemnation, and scrutiny has finally concluded.
“I give thanks to Almighty God for His faithfulness and for the complete vindication I have received. I am grateful to my legal counsel for their diligence and to my family and friends for their steadfast support and encouragement throughout this period. I am profoundly relieved. My name has been cleared, and this ordeal has come to an end.”
Allison-Madueke said she would speak about the events of the past decade and her future plans “in due course” but, in the meantime, would focus on embracing what she described as the freedom she had been unjustly denied for many years.
Nigeria is sure to witness an impending doomsday sooner than later if the Federal government fails to take definite and decisive steps to arrest the current parlous state of the nation’s medical system.
Association of Medical Doctors (ARD), which dropped the warning, cited how Nigeria currently boasts of just 55,000 doctors to serve a population of more than 220 million people, warning that with the current paucity in its healthcare system, an impending doomsday was only a matter of time.
The doctors, who raised the alarm at the Ordinary General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the association, held at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital (FNPH), Yaba, Lagos, the doctors, among whom were mental health experts, also said the present situation was worsening access to psychiatric care and leaving millions of vulnerable Nigerians untreated.
Citing no fewer than 16,000 Nigerian doctors, who have emigrated in the last five years, had worsened an already dire manpower shortage in the country’s health sector, they warned that the sustained exodus of healthcare workers under the “Japa” syndrome had severely depleted the country’s mental health workforce, widened treatment gaps, increased the cost of care and placed enormous pressure on the few specialists remaining in the system.
Vanguard quoted Omoti Ernest, President of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), as saying that recent data showed that the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), had registered over 130,000 doctors but noted only about 55,000 are actively practicing within Nigeria.
Stressing that with a population exceeding 220 million, this translated to roughly one doctor for every 3,600 to 4,000 people, he added: “This ratio is far below the World Health Organisation’s recommended threshold of one doctor to about 600 people, highlighting the significant shortage of medical personnel and the strain on healthcare delivery.
“Many Nigerian-trained doctors have emigrated or are no longer engaged in active clinical practice, contributing to the country’s healthcare workforce shortage. The emigration of skilled professionals in search of better opportunities abroad has had a significant impact on Nigeria’s hospitals and healthcare workforce.
“Thousands of doctors and other healthcare professionals have left the country in recent years, leading to severe staff shortages, increased workload for those who remain with many suffering from burnout, longer waiting times for patients, and declining quality of care in many public hospitals.
“Rural and under-served communities have been particularly affected, as they already struggle with limited access to healthcare services. ’The reasons behind this migration include poor remuneration, inadequate working conditions, insecurity, limited opportunities for career advancement, and insufficient investment in healthcare infrastructure, among others.
“Many professionals are attracted by better pay, improved facilities, and more stable environments in countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States.”
‘What can be done’
To address the trend, he said the Federal Government should prioritise salaries and welfare packages for healthcare workers, invest more in modern medical equipment and hospital infrastructure, expand residency and specialist training opportunities, and create clear career progression pathways.
“Strengthening security, ensuring timely payment of wages, and providing incentives for professionals to work in under-served areas will also help retain talent. ’In addition, partnerships with the private sector and diaspora engagement programmes could encourage Nigerian healthcare professionals abroad to contribute their expertise and support development of the country’s healthcare system.”
Yesir Kareem, a Consultant Psychiatrist at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, also lamented how Nigeria’s doctor-to-patient ratio had fallen to about one doctor for more than 10,000 patients, far below the World Health Organisation’s recommended ratio of one doctor to 600 people.
The consequences, he argued were particularly devastating for mental healthcare, he said, adding: Only about 55,000 doctors remain to serve a population of over 220 million Nigerians. More than 40 million Nigerians suffer from mental health disorders, yet about 85 per cent of them do not have access to mental healthcare services,” Kareem said.
He noted that Nigeria’s shortage of psychiatrists and other mental health specialists has reached alarming levels, warning that untreated mental illnesses contribute to family breakdowns, substance abuse, unemployment, delayed diagnosis and premature deaths.
“The economic consequences are equally devastating, with billions of dollars lost annually due to untreated mental health conditions. Over 94,000 doctors and nurses have left Nigeria since the Japa syndrome started some years ago due to poor remuneration and delayed salaries, competitive salaries in destination countries, overwhelming patient loads (1:10,000+), better work-life balance and conditions, and inadequate medical equipment & facilities.
He listed access to modern medical technology, limited career advancement opportunities, professional development and training, unsafe working conditions and long hours, unstable political and economic environment and insecurity and socioeconomic instability as factors encouraging migration of doctors from the country.
Vanguard, also quoted Veronica Nyamali, President of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN) as saying that the manpower shortage was a crisis that had forced consultants to abandon higher-level responsibilities, such as research and specialist care, in order to fill gaps left by departing doctors.
She said: “There are gaps everywhere. Work that should be done by four psychiatrists is now being handled by one or two people. Consultants are increasingly forced to work at lower levels because the doctors they are supposed to supervise are no longer there.
“Those we train are leaving. Junior registrars, senior registrars, many complete their examinations and return abroad. The result is that we have shortages at every level of care. Nigeria has less than 150 psychiatrists. The dwindling number of specialists is making mental healthcare increasingly expensive and inaccessible, especially for patients in rural communities where psychiatrists are virtually non-existent.
“When specialists become scarce, services become more expensive. Access becomes difficult because patients must travel long distances to find care. This is contrary to the principle of universal health coverage, where mental health services should be available, affordable and accessible to everyone.
Lagos State Police Command, has thrown a security cordon around university communities in the state to prevent any form of mishap as a result of recent concerns that they could come under attack.
On Wednesday, Olohundare Jimoh, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, gave the hint while conducting an on-the-spot security assessment at Pan-Atlantic University, Lekki, following the circulation of a viral video showing two masked individuals emerging from a forest area adjoining the institution.
The visit, carried out alongside operational personnel of the command, was part of efforts to evaluate the security situation around the university and reassure students, staff and parents of measures being taken to ensure their safety.
The police boss, in a meeting with the university’s management while stressing the need to continually strengthen the institution’s security architecture to forestall potential threats, also advised on practical steps to enhance security within and around the campus, cautioning against actions that could inadvertently weaken existing security structures.
Emphasising the importance of adopting proactive security measures, particularly in the areas of perimeter protection, access control and collaboration with relevant security agencies, he said as part of efforts to boost security operations in the area, the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), had deployed surveillance drones to support law enforcement activities around the university and neighbouring communities.
The measure facilitated by the Lagos State Government, is expected to enhance aerial surveillance, intelligence gathering and crime-prevention efforts within the axis, he said stating that the command was fully committed to protecting lives and property across the state.
He assured the management, staff, students and parents of Pan-Atlantic University of the police’s readiness to respond swiftly to security concerns and maintain a safe environment conducive to learning and other lawful activities, urging the institution to sustain close collaboration with security agencies and remain vigilant in addressing emerging security challenges.
“The Command remains committed to the protection of lives and property across Lagos State. The university community must support security efforts by promptly reporting suspicious activities. We are resolved to maintain peace, public safety and security across the state. We urge residents to remain security-conscious and provide credible, timely information to law enforcement agencies. Residents are also encouraged to make use of the Command’s emergency lines to report security-related incidents and suspicious movements.
The assessment followed heightened public concern generated by the viral video, with authorities moving swiftly to reassure the public and strengthen surveillance around the institution and its environs.
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