For those who have continued to see my issue-based constructive criticism of a bad system as bad and are maligning my person and the Obidients for seeking good governance and a better future for all Nigerians, let them now read this report from the respected international newsmagazine, The Economist of London and do the same. -PO

The Economist

*Kidnappers are wreaking havoc in Nigeria*

_Yet President tinubu's security plan is worryingly like his predecessor’s_

*18th January 2024*

The Economist

How much politicians in Nigeria care about national insecurity has long been correlated with how close it gets to their mansions in Abuja, the capital. On its outskirts on January 2nd a father and his six daughters were kidnapped, prompting a rare outcry on high.

A crowdfunding effort to pay the ransom was even backed by a former minister. But the kidnappers instead killed one of the girls and demanded more cash. The wife of President Bola Tinubu publicly lamented a “devastating loss”. Yet such horrors are still appallingly frequent—and largely ignored by politicians. In one incident last week in southeasts 45 people were kidnapped and are still missing, yet few leaders spoke out. The deadliest zone is the northeast, where jihadists linked to Islamic State attack the army and villages.

The north-west, too, is riddled with gangs that routinely kidnap for ransom. A decades-long conflict between mostly Muslim herders and largely Christian farmers rumbles on in the country, where on Christmas Eve gunmen mowed down at least 160 people.

Separatist violence still smolders in Southeast. At his inauguration last May Mr Tinubu declared security his “top priority”. Yet more than 3,600 people were kidnapped in 2023, the most ever, according to tAcleded, a global monitor of conflict.

The snatching rose sharply after Mr Tinubu took office. And almost 9,000 Nigerians were killed in conflict last year (see chart). The government stresses that, in its most recent budget, spending on defense and the police took the biggest share, about 12% in all.

Defence got a fifth more than it did last year. Yet inflation is running at 29%, so in real terms the defense budget has fallen. The government tends to splurge on fancy weapons systems that fail to tackle the roots of the problem, which are poverty, poor education, and anger at army atrocities. The latest budget includes funds for six t-129 Turkish attack helicopters on top of the 12 costly Bell choppers bought last year from America for $1bn, not to mention 12 Super Tucano attack aircraft. Buying strike drones has become so popular that the army runs in a fleet alongside that of their Forcerce. But drones are very good at guarding schools from kidnappings, and heavy weaponry risks disaster. A drone recently killed at least 85 civilians at a festival in Kaduna state—not the first such cock-up.

The army promised to “fine-tune” its operations, but more radical change is needed. The police, well equipped but able to use better human intelligence, should lead on domestic security, not the army, which has been deployed in all 36 of Nigeria’s states.

Another huge problem is graft in security spending. “Defence is a prime part of the budget where you can take large quantities of money out without people being any the wiser,” says Matthew Page of Chatham House, a think-tank in London.

Much of the budget, he says, is still about rewarding those who paid to get Mr Tinubu elected. Sometimes the army fails to receive its budget allocation. This is worsened by a system known as “security votes”, whereby parts defensece spending are deemed too sensitive to require public oversight. The practice, which accounts for perhaps $700m a year, increased sharply under the last president and may well jump more under Mr Tinubu. The defense budget has nearly tripled since 2019. But thanks to inflation, wasteful purchases, sales, and and corruption, Nigerians do not suffer. General Christopher Musa, chief defence staff, appears to understand the roots of the insecurity. “Military effort alone is incapable of restoring enduring peace,” he says, adding that the army helped build hundreds of schools under his command in the north-east. Yet many politicians seem keener to spend on themselves, rather than create the conditions for peace or fill the country’s fiscal hole. Even if Mr Tinubu resists the temptation to reinstate the petrol subsidy that he largely removed last year, debt servicing alone in 2024 may gobble up 61% of revenue. In November the national assembly approved SUVs for all 460 lawmakers, at a reported cost of $150,000-plus per car. In two months the government has budgeted $31m to improve accommodation for the president and vice-president—in a country of around 220m people where more than 80m are reckoned to live on less than $2.15 a day and many fear being kidnapped.

Peter Obi

yarimo:
Foolish man

is that all you can say?
Why not counter what he said with a constructive argument...

🥵

He is a member of the ruling class that looted the country. Atiku paid millions of dollars in bribery to the PDP delegates for the ticket in 2019. Peter Obi was his vice.

He is no different from any Nigerian politician. He would also often stoke religious or ethnic tribal bigotry to try and win elections when he was in APGA.

Slytiger:
He is a member of the ruling class that looted the country.

How did he loot the country?

Pandora man who invested his state resources in his family business
Thief
After all we dodged the bullets

Chai! There's God o

Ok

Same Obi supporters that always wish evil on Nigeria...........always looking forward to the next bad news to promote

DamnnNiggarr:
How did he loot the country?

He was a member of PDP. PDP just like APC are mostly thieves. And why did he not hold local government elections for 8 years during his tenure?

Grow up.

Tinubu that built LAGOS according to you, has degraded NIGERIA. The fact that actual Governance is not Worthless and useless Propaganda, shows why Propaganda is OPIUM in the SW laced with multi-level poverty.

RONU...

Slytiger:
He is a member of the ruling class that looted the country.

Gbajue promax. Kidnappers and police atrocities ran amok under your 8 year watch abi na sleep in Anambra. You are not a news agency so stop lambaring your followers, comparing yourself to news. Do your work as an influencer in the South East instead of shielding criminals because they are your tribesmen.

Now thatz my President,this thier Nonsense Don too much.




GOD Bless Peter Obi.

Peter!

Don't mind these incurable bulabas.

DamnnNiggarr:
How did he loot the country?

has he explained the money found in the boot of his car or why he diverted state funds into a company his family had interests and his wife was a serving director?

Has he explained his role is the Dasuki money diverted to fidelity bank for elections under his instructions?

Like I say I understand the Ibo support, otherwise Peter Obi can only appeal to the shallow or brain dead!

We are going to teach igbos a lesson
Tinubu and my Yoruba think is ok to use propagand to run a government. Its obvious that Tinubu is putting more effort to discredit the Igbos than to run a government that will benefit Nigerians

We are in charge of the government yet we are the one championing the propaganda against the Igbos.
This not but a disappointment.
Whatch how this thread will get 10 pages because of Obi

Rantingpiglets:
Grow up.

Tinubu that built LAGOS according to you, has degraded NIGERIA. The fact that actual Governance is not Worthless and useless Propaganda, shows why Propaganda is OPIUM in the SW laced with mukti-level poverty.

RONU...

As you can see above, I do not support any of the mega political parties, but just like Peter Obi, your bigotry has beclouded your senses.

This clown no get job?

He never congratulates FG on the arrest of his obidient-kidnappers Chinasa Philip and Nnandi Agu in FCT?

The problems of Nigeria know themselves, they are the ones who start looking for excuses when we want the nonsense they elected to perform.

Foolish man

Great!

Don't say much my president.



Nigeria's problem is ethnic bigotry and religious sentiments.



3 in 1 country

The enemies are the ones in leadership that's why the country is not working

If they are not why is the country not working?and what is stopping them to make it work?

Nigeria has all it takes to be great anyday anytime,they have no excuse.Whether it is tomorrow the right person takes over and he/she does the right things,I bet u Nigeria economy will grow like magic

Those that know Nigeria well can bet this

What’s happened to “it will favour me and my family?

Abi the kidnapping no Dey favour dem & dia family?

My Guy Always hitting them back to back below the belt.

They wish their Mr Bulabalu who is a complete Olodo can sit down and articulate facts,data and figures like Obi does but if you a dunce,you are simply a dunce.

You can't give what you don't have.

Obi will always be your nemesis and your problems. He will keep on making you lose sleep shooting your blood pressure higher and higher

Let me remind you Bulabalus's again in case you have forgotten.

Obi isn't the cause of the current multifaceted poverty plaguing Nigeria. It was caused by Mr Bulabalu and we shall keep on dragging his ass till we kick him out of power in 2027.

Nonesense and Tinubu