Tinubu Wasted ₦300bn on Presidential Jet That Could Build 4,000 Hospitals — Peter Obi
Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration over what he described as misplaced fiscal priorities, questioning the decision to spend ₦300 billion on an additional presidential jet instead of investing in thousands of primary healthcare centres across Nigeria.
Obi also faulted the Federal Government for allocating ₦39 billion to the refurbishment of the National Conference Centre in Abuja and ₦21 billion to the reconstruction of the Vice President’s official residence, arguing that such sums could have been channelled into acquiring life-saving ambulances for states struggling with emergency medical response.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) and obtained by PulseNets, the former Anambra State governor recounted a personal encounter with a nursing school graduate during an Air Peace flight from Imo to Lagos, a conversation he said left a lasting impression on him.
According to Obi, the young woman made a remark that sharply captured the country’s healthcare challenges.
“I now understand what happened to Boxer Joshua. That must be why there was no ambulance to rush him to a nearby hospital,” she reportedly said, wondering aloud if the tragedy was simply a consequence of Nigeria being a poor country.
Obi said he responded with visible emotion, urging her not to lose faith in the nation. He stressed that Nigeria’s problem is not a lack of resources but a failure of governance.
“Nigeria is not poor; it is poorly governed,” Obi told PulseNets, reflecting on the exchange.
Providing a cost breakdown to support his argument, the former presidential candidate explained that a standard ambulance costs about ₦150 million, approximately $100,000. He noted that the combined ₦60 billion spent on refurbishing the conference centre and rebuilding the vice president’s residence could have delivered about 400 brand-new ambulances, translating to roughly 11 ambulances per state, including the Federal Capital Territory.
“Had 11 functional ambulances existed in Ogun State, one might have been available for Joshua,” Obi said, linking public spending decisions directly to preventable loss of life.
He further criticised the acquisition of an additional presidential aircraft, estimating that the ₦300 billion reportedly spent could have transformed grassroots healthcare nationwide.
“Building a primary healthcare centre in a community costs about ₦75 million. With ₦300 billion, Nigeria could have built over 4,000 primary healthcare centres—about 110 per state,” Obi stated.
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Obi concluded by questioning the tangible benefits of the new jet to ordinary Nigerians.
“The only visible value the jet adds is enabling the President to occasionally disappear without the public knowing where he is,” he added.
