Politics

Obi slams Tinubu over ‘Mr Stingy’ remark, says saving govt’s money now an issue

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has lashed out at his challenger in the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, for calling him “Mr Stingy”.

Tinubu, at his presidential campaign rally in Akure, the Ondo State capital on Saturday, said Obi watched the people of Anambra State suffer and saved the state’s funds rather than save the people as the governor of the state.

Speaking at a town hall meeting organised by Channels Television on Sunday, the LP presidential flag-bearer said saving government’s money has become an issue in Nigeria due to corruption.

Obi said: “It’s good that when my opponents talk. Let us talk about corruption. One of the things that are killing this country today is Corruption Perception Index, which is measured by how you manage public assets, nepotism, how you share the land, how you manage your money, and everything.

“I’ve challenged everyone to say, ‘go and see whether there is anywhere a kobo of Anambra State money is missing’. Saving has now become an issue. When people have stolen all the money and impoverished the country and you are now questioning a man who left the money without anybody telling me to leave it and go.”

The former governor of Anambra State stated that the state was number one in education in Nigeria during his regime, adding that he won Bill Gates prize in health as the governor of the state.

He added his administration started implementing the global benchmark for measuring development, Millennium Development Goals, in 2008 after he assumed office in 2006.

“We started implementing it in 2008, so we were late by seven years. By the time it stopped in 2015, Anambra was number one. I was number one in education – this is by UNDP, not by Nigeria o. By UNDP, I was number one in education – by Nigeria and WAEC.

“I won the Bill Gates prize in health. This is again not Nigeria that marked it. I can go on. I had the best road network. In terms of fighting poverty, go and check, Ask Evelyn Oputu (former managing director of The Bank of Industry), I was the first governor to go to the Bank of Industry.

“I said ‘I want us to do something. I want to put in money here and you support my micro, and small businesses, which is what the governors are seeing today. I and Evelyn Oputu started that. Go and ask Magnus Kpakol, who was in charge of poverty alleviation; I was number one. I’m calling names of people; I can go on and on,” Obi stated.

The Star