Chief spokesperson of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council (LP-PCC) and former National Chairman of National Conscience Party (NCP), Dr Yunusa Tanko has criticised the Federal Government over the number of delegates taken to the 28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Tanko revealed this in an interview with Tribune Online, stating that the FG taking such a large number of delegates to the conference is a waste of public funds.
He said, “Well, it is very appalling, because one will be tempted to ask what the government has gone to Dubai with [over 400] delegates just to attend a conference that could have been easily attended by 20 or 50 people. I see it as a clear waste of public funds. We have raised issues regarding that and we do hope the government will look at some of them.
“This is because the country is currently in dire need of money. So how can you take the money meant for the people and wastefully expend it anyhow, simply because you are in the corridor of power? It obviously won’t augur well for the country at the end of it all.”
Furthermore, the LP spokesperson said such display has thrown up the case of gross incompetence and a lack of adequate planning on the part of the government.
“Well, it has already thrown up the issue of gross incompetence and lack of planning. It is expected that the government will be planning in the interest of the people, not strangulating them. As we speak, the price of a bag of corn is more expensive than a bag of rice. And these are the staple food that the masses eat. So what has the government put on the ground to show that it truly cares for the people, after all, its first promise was to take care of the people. But these same people are already walloping in abject poverty now. This is unacceptable.”
Tanko said the FG has been guity of bad leadership, thereby causing Nigerians unbearable pain and hardship since coming into power.
“What we have seen them do is to rule the country with so much impunity as they believe they now have the power and can do whatever they like. And this is exactly telling of the way they are running the government, which is bringing pain to the people. And this greatly negates the principles of leadership. So it seems to me like they don’t even understand the word ‘Governance’. They feel that as long as you can buy out your way, you can use force to do anything.”
The Federal Government-funded delegation is made up of a total of 422 persons, as follows: National Council on Climate Change (32); Federal Ministry of Environment (34); All Ministries (167); Presidency (67); Office of the Vice President (9); National Assembly (40); Federal Parastatals/Agencies (73).
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