Samuel Omang
A frontline presidential aspirant, Mr. Peter Obi, has criticised Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, over her birthday appeal that well-wishers should donate towards the completion of the National Library in Abuja instead of presenting her with gifts or paying for newspaper adverts.
Obi, who was the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, said while the First Lady’s request appeared noble, it was deeply troubling that Nigeria now depends on birthday gestures to complete such a critical national project.
In a strongly worded statement on X (formerly Twitter) titled “We Are Finished”, Obi lamented that billions of dollars are easily spent on luxury items such as jets, yachts, mansions, and endless foreign trips, while the nation’s intellectual hub—the National Library—remains abandoned.
“What kind of country must beg for charity to build the very temple of knowledge?” Obi asked.
“Serious nations treat libraries as sacred; but here, we reduce them to afterthoughts, begging bowls, or birthday tokens.”
The former Anambra State governor recalled that during his tenure, he encouraged people to divert money for adverts into useful projects like classroom blocks and school computers, but stressed that such gestures were meant to complement—not replace—the government’s constitutional duties.
While wishing Mrs. Tinubu more fruitful years, Obi said the irony of her appeal underscores Nigeria’s misplaced priorities. He added:
“Mrs. Tinubu was right: education is the most enduring legacy a nation can give its people. Yet to know this truth and still prioritise vanity is both shocking and tragic. 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.”
Senator Oluremi Tinubu had, during her birthday celebration, urged friends and admirers to channel their goodwill into completing the National Library project in Abuja, which has been stalled for years.
The development has since sparked nationwide debate, with critics like Obi arguing that the call reflects the federal government’s neglect of key educational infrastructure.