The Obidient Movement has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his reported month-long stay in France, alleging that the trip’s expenditure could have funded 20 primary healthcare centres and 100 ambulances.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its Media and Communications Directorate, the movement described the trip as wasteful and demanded a comprehensive disclosure of the total cost of the president’s stay and the activities of his delegation.
The group said the president had returned to Nigeria after spending about a month in France, at a time when Nigerians were grappling with poverty, insecurity, hunger and rising living costs.
The statement cited reports attributed to an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Kayode Ogundamisi, that Tinubu and members of his delegation operated from The Peninsula Paris, where a Grand Premier Suite was reportedly listed at about €7,550 per night, including taxes and fees.
According to the movement, at an estimated cost of about N12 million per night, the accommodation for one suite over 30 nights could amount to about N360 million.
It added that other rooms reportedly cost thousands of euros per night, arguing that the total accommodation bill could therefore be substantial.
The Obidient Movement said the cost of accommodation, aircraft operations, security, transportation, feeding and other expenses associated with the presidential delegation required public disclosure.
It said the resources allegedly spent on the trip could have been deployed to essential public services, particularly primary healthcare infrastructure and emergency medical transportation.
“The estimated cost of this trip, as reflected in the headline comparison, could have funded twenty primary healthcare centres and provided 100 ambulances,” the group said.
It argued that such facilities were particularly important in rural communities where pregnant women, accident victims and critically ill patients often face difficulties accessing emergency medical services.
The movement also demanded that the Presidency disclose the specific benefits Nigeria derived from the trip, including details of any agreements, investments or commitments allegedly secured during the president’s stay.
“We demand that Tinubu immediately provide a comprehensive breakdown of the total cost of his month-long trip to France, including accommodation, aircraft operations, security, transportation, feeding and all other expenses incurred by the presidential delegation,” it said.
The group maintained that public funds belonged to Nigerians and that the government had an obligation to account for expenditure undertaken in the name of the country.
It also called for verifiable evidence of the outcomes of the trip, saying Nigerians should not be left to speculate about the cost and purpose of presidential foreign engagements.
The Obidient Movement said Nigerians needed improved healthcare, ambulances, jobs, roads and security rather than what it described as extravagant presidential spending.
