Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has called on the Federal Government to prioritise the rehabilitation and completion of existing infrastructure rather than embarking on new projects that risk being abandoned.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Obi said he has consistently advocated for governments at all levels to focus on fixing and completing ongoing projects before initiating new ones. While acknowledging that the stance has drawn criticism over the years, he maintained that it remains the most responsible and practical approach to governance.
Obi noted that President Bola Tinubu’s recent admonition to state governors against constructing unnecessary flyovers in areas with minimal traffic reflects the same principle he has long championed. According to him, the President’s remarks highlight the need for governments to channel limited public resources into projects that deliver tangible benefits to citizens instead of investing in developments with little public value.
However, Obi argued that the Federal Government should be held to the same standard, stressing that several high-cost projects currently being pursued by the administration appear unrealistic at a time when critical infrastructure across the country remains in a state of neglect.
He lamented the poor condition of many major highways linking commercial centres and food-producing communities, describing them as death traps. Obi insisted that restoring such vital infrastructure should take precedence over embarking on prestige projects that offer limited immediate benefits to Nigerians.
Drawing from his experience as governor of Anambra State, Obi said his administration deliberately completed viable projects inherited from previous governments before commencing new ones. He emphasised that governance is a continuous process and that development should be measured by the successful completion of projects and the value they provide to the people, rather than by who initiated them.
He concluded by saying that effective leadership requires making difficult but necessary decisions, including repairing existing infrastructure, completing ongoing projects, and investing scarce public funds where they will have the greatest impact on the largest number of citizens.
Obi ended the statement with his familiar slogan: “A New Nigeria is POssible.”
