Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has expressed deep disappointment over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent decision to award scholarships to students from Saint Lucia, describing the move as a “clear act of betrayal” against Nigerian youths.
Speaking in a statement shared via his verified social media pages, Obi condemned the action, saying it sharply contradicts the dire realities within Nigeria’s own education sector. He emphasized that while the President was granting financial support to students abroad, many public schools across the country — including in the nation’s capital, Abuja — remain closed due to strikes and unpaid salaries.
How do you justify giving scholarships to students from another country when public schools in your capital city are shut for months and teachers are not being paid?” Obi asked.He noted that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which should serve as a model for the rest of the country, has seen repeated disruptions in academic activities.
The poor state of infrastructure, dilapidated classrooms, and the hardship faced by students and educators alike in Nigeria make such a gesture towards foreign students appear “irresponsible and insensitive.
Obi argued that Nigeria, a country battling severe inflation, growing unemployment, and a worsening brain drain, cannot afford to neglect its education system. He called on the President to “focus first on fixing the rot in our own backyard before attempting to impress the international community.
The Labour Party stalwart also expressed concern about what he described as “a growing pattern of misplaced priorities” in the Tinubu administration, especially at a time when millions of Nigerian children are out of school, and families struggle to afford basic education due to the removal of subsidies and declining purchasing power.
This is not about diplomacy or foreign aid; it’s about choosing to take care of your children before attending to your neighbours’. Nigerian students deserve better,” Obi stated firmly.
The backlash over the scholarship offer comes amid widespread criticisms of government policies seen as being out of touch with the realities on the ground.Bottom Line:
Peter Obi’s reaction reflects growing public outrage over the government’s perceived neglect of its own citizens, especially in the education and welfare sectors. His comments are resonating with many Nigerians who feel increasingly abandoned by a system meant to serve them first.
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