Peter Obi Supports Chibok Girls School With Borehole, Solar Power, And Ict Equipment
Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has condemned what he described as the government’s misplaced priorities that favour the elite while the general populace continues to struggle.
Speaking in Abuja, Obi announced a donation of N6 million for development projects—including a borehole, solar power installation, and a laboratory—as well as the provision of computers to the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State. He emphasized that support for education should be seen not as an act of charity, but as a vital investment in the nation's future.
According to a statement issued Wednesday by Ibrahim Umar, spokesperson for the Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR), Obi criticized the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) for spending N39 billion to renovate the International Conference Centre (ICC), despite widespread hardship and lack of access to basic needs like food, healthcare, and education.
Calling the renovation excessive and unnecessary, Obi urged that government resources be channeled toward sectors with long-term impact, particularly education. “The FCTA is boasting about spending N39 billion to renovate a facility that was already in good shape,” he said.
He argued that such spending highlights how government priorities are often out of touch with pressing national needs. “That amount could have been used to equip thousands of schools with computers—benefitting children who are the leaders of tomorrow,” he noted.
Obi also highlighted the ongoing strike by teachers in the FCT, who have been unpaid for three months. Drawing from his experience as a former governor, he recalled introducing widespread computer use in Anambra State schools, ensuring that students had access even if it meant sharing—ten students to one computer.
Obi’s recent donation was directed toward the Chibok school, which gained global attention after the abduction of dozens of schoolgirls by Boko Haram in 2014. While he originally intended to visit the community to deliver the items personally, he was advised against doing so due to security risks. “If one part of the country is not safe to visit, then the whole country is not safe,” he remarked.
The initiative was facilitated by renowned activist Aisha Yesufu, a long-time advocate for the release of the abducted Chibok girls. She revealed that the community had reached out to her on May 31, seeking help in boosting computer literacy at the school. She then contacted Obi, who promptly agreed to assist.
Community leader Dauda Iliya received the ten laptops and two laser printers on behalf of the school, assuring that the equipment would be fully utilized for the students' benefit.