Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has faulted the Federal Government’s celebration of meeting its annual revenue target, saying such achievements are hollow if they do not translate into improved living conditions for Nigerians.
In a statement personally signed and released on Thursday, September 4, 2025, Obi stated that it is meaningless to hit fiscal targets while citizens, particularly those who have served the country, continue to languish in hardship and neglect.
“Achieving revenue targets means nothing if it does not impact the lives of the people, if those who serve and build the nation are left with unpaid entitlements in their difficult years, and those who have genuinely fulfilled their contractual obligations, most of whom are SMEs with one form of debt or the other, are still unpaid,” he said.
Obi’s comments come in response to President Bola Tinubu’s recent declaration that his administration has already met its revenue target for the year, primarily from non-oil sources. The President had also claimed that the country was on the path to stability and that the government was no longer borrowing from domestic banks.
While the President emphasized job creation as a key focus, Obi countered that the government’s priorities must reflect the actual suffering of Nigerians, especially those owed pensions and gratuities.
“Having met our revenue target for the year ahead of schedule, we should show sensitivity and compassion to the suffering masses by deploying resources to critical areas that will help to create jobs to alleviate the people’s hardships,” he noted.
Obi also highlighted the financial challenges facing economic drivers and institutions, warning that their struggles are already affecting the wider economy, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
“For instance, critical economic players and their associated institutions are undergoing a serious dearth of funds, and their effect is showing in areas they support, like SMEs. Some of them are even protesting as they cannot meet their banks’ and staff needs,” he said.
He expressed dismay over the continued protests by retired public servants, including military veterans, over unpaid benefits despite claims of strong government revenue performance.
“Why are retired public servants, including service men and women who have risked their lives for the nation, still protesting over unpaid gratuities and pensions?” he asked.
“It is shameful that those who built this nation with their sweat, those who defended it with their lives, and those who have fulfilled their contractual obligations are reduced to begging for what is rightfully theirs, even after the government boasts of excess revenue,” he added.
Obi concluded by calling for a more humane and accountable approach to governance.
“Our nation must not continue to throw its citizens into debt and despair. It is time for our government to act responsibly and with integrity,” he said.
