By Valentine Obienyem
Former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Mr. Peter Obi, has expressed concern over the state of Nigeria’s priorities after First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, requested that well-wishers channel birthday gifts toward the completion of the National Library in Abuja.
In a statement on Sunday, Obi congratulated Mrs. Tinubu on her birthday, describing her appeal as noble but simultaneously a stark indictment of Nigeria’s governance.
“I join millions of Nigerians in wishing Her Excellency, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, a happy birthday. May God’s grace continue to guide her,” Obi stated. “Yet I was struck by irony when I read her request: that instead of cakes or newspaper adverts, well-wishers should donate toward completing the National Library in Abuja. On the surface, it is noble and selfless. But beneath it lies an indictment of our nation.”
Drawing from his experience as governor, Obi noted that he once encouraged supporters to redirect resources for newspaper adverts into providing computers for schools and building classroom blocks. However, he stressed that such gestures were meant to complement—not replace—the responsibility of government.
He faulted the Nigerian state for allowing the nation’s premier library to depend on charitable donations despite lavish spending by political leaders.
“It is shocking that, in our present circumstance, while billions are easily found for private jets, yachts, holidaying abroad, and frivolities, the nation must rely on birthday donations to complete its own National Library,” he said.
Obi further questioned the priorities of Nigerian leaders, lamenting: “What kind of country must beg for charity to build the very temple of knowledge? Serious nations treat libraries as sacred; we reduce them to afterthoughts, begging bowls, or birthday tokens.”
He commended Mrs. Tinubu for highlighting the importance of education, describing it as the most enduring legacy a nation can give its people. However, he warned that knowing this truth while still prioritising vanity projects was “both shocking and tragic.”
Concluding his remarks, Obi reiterated that Nigeria’s future depends not on ostentatious displays of wealth but on investing in knowledge and education.
“If Nigeria will rise, it will not be on the wings of jets or the splendour of mansions, but on the strength of minds formed in classrooms and nourished in libraries. Until then, the lament remains true—we are finished.”
