By Steve Agbota
Former military intelligence officer, Col. Hassan Stan-Labo (retd), has said presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, would reduce wastages and leakages in governance if elected in 2023.
Speaking on a national television programme, yesterday, Stan-Labo said Nigeria was in a financial mess because of misappropriation of funds and leakages in governance.
He assured that Nigeria had a better candidate and leader in Obi compared to the other contestants.
He said Nigeria needed someone who can exhibit some level of prudence and frugality in the running of government like Obi, and not one who would be wasting state funds.
“I am not saying Obi is a saint, and nobody is looking for a saint. What I am trying to say is that with what Obi has shown us, and with what he has done in Anambra State, there is no better candidate than him.
“We see what he has revealed to us in terms of how he intends to save cost in governance, what he has revealed to us in terms of leadership in this country have been wasteful and so on. He has told us about how governors would hire private jets to go to Abuja, when they could have flown economy class. You hire private jets parking in Abuja for three to four days.
“You pay all the fees and other expenses for the day you spent and so on. At the end of the day, millions have spent in just mere days. The same governor doing that is owing teachers salaries, the same governor doing that has not paid pensioners, the same governor doing that is busy complaining that he has no money, but you see the way he spend the money.”
He said the time had come for citizens toy begin to interrogate and hold leaders accountable.
“I was just going through some seven points promises made by APC in 2015, no single one has been kept. The only one kept there has to do with the feeding of children in primary school where they will spend one naira and tell you they have spent N50 billion. They even feed the children into Saturdays and Sundays. They follow them to their homes and feed them.Give me a break! What do you think we are? We are all dunces. Just start working on your handing over notes so you can have a very comprehensive one for the incoming administration, that is the only advise we can give for now because we don’t see how you can achieve other things,” he said.