“Why Spend ₦5m On Commissioning When You Can Build More Classrooms?”- Peter Obi

• Peter Obi, NDC presidential candidate, discussed his tenure as governor of Anambra State.
• He avoided heavy spending on media publicity and commissioning ceremonies.
• Obi emphasized a focus on substance over spectacle in promoting projects.

NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi has explained why he avoided spending heavily on media publicity and commissioning ceremonies during his tenure as governor of Anambra State.

Obi made the remarks during a radio interview on Wednesday while responding to questions about his approach to publicising projects executed by his administration.

According to him, he prioritised directing public funds towards development projects rather than spending additional money on ceremonies organised to mark their completion.

“I was not into show media business while I was governor of Anambra because I believed the people I was building for would feel the impact,” Obi said.

He illustrated his point with the example of a classroom project, noting that money spent on commissioning ceremonies could instead be used to fund additional infrastructure.

“If I spent ₦10 million to build a five-classroom block, the commissioning ceremony alone could cost another ₦5 million. Why not add that ₦5 million to the money and build another set of classrooms?” he asked.

The former Anambra governor further questioned the need to spend public money on elaborate ceremonies when the funds could be channelled towards projects that directly benefit residents.

“What would I gain by wasting public money in the name of commissioning?” he added.

Obi’s comments centred on his stated preference for allocating public resources to development projects rather than elaborate commissioning events and media publicity.

His remarks have brought attention to the question of how public funds should be allocated between infrastructure delivery, project publicity and official ceremonies.

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