Our Reporter, Abuja
The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Mr. Peter Obi, has urged the Federal Government to ensure that the ₦853 billion recently recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is transparently deployed to impact the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
Obi, in a statement on Friday, commended the EFCC for the recovery but noted that the amount represented only a fraction of the public funds looted by corrupt leaders. He stressed that beyond celebrating the recovery, what matters most is how the money is utilised.
“The utilisation of these funds must be verifiable and accountable, specifically directed to critical areas of development such as health, education, and poverty alleviation,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State governor lamented that Nigeria still grapples with over 20 million out-of-school children—the highest in the world—as well as more than 100 million people living in acute poverty. According to him, the situation is even worse in the North, making targeted interventions imperative.
Citing examples, Obi suggested that if the Federal Government’s 2024 budgetary allocation of ₦251.47 billion for Universal Basic Education were tripled, an additional ₦503 billion would go a long way in expanding access to quality education. He further proposed that the balance of ₦350 billion from the recovered funds could be distributed across the 19 northern states as micro-credit for the poor, many of whom have been seeking as little as ₦2 billion in support from development banks.
“Let this not just be another announcement of recovery,” Obi warned.
“Let it be the beginning of a new era of accountability, where every kobo retrieved is turned into classrooms, hospitals, skills, and opportunities for ordinary Nigerians.”
