Vice President Kashim Shettima has departed Abuja for the United States to attend the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). This was as the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) criticised President Bola Tinubu’s comments, in which he urged Nigerians to be patient with the country’s current economic challenges, stating that there is “no free beer parlour” anymore.
 
Shettima’s trip to attend the high-level global forum in the U.S. as leader of the Nigerian delegation is at the behest of Tinubu.  Tinubu had directed the Vice President to lead the Nigerian delegation, so he could focus on pressing domestic issues, including the recent devastating flood. Shettima will deliver Nigeria’s national statement, participate in key meetings on the sidelines of the event, and engage in bilateral meetings.
 
The high-level General Debate themed, ‘Leaving no one Behind: Acting Together for the Advancement of Peace, Sustainable Development and Human Dignity for Present and Future Generations’, is scheduled for September 24 to 28, 2024.

HURIWA tagged the President’s remarks as hypocritical, pointing out that “the same government that preaches sacrifice and austerity continues to spend billions on feeding and entertaining the families of the President and Vice President” in Aso Rock, while also enabling unconstitutional expenditures for the First Lady’s extravagant foreign trips. 
 
According to HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, this dichotomy between words and actions exemplifies the disconnect between the leadership and the everyday struggles of millions of Nigerians grappling with inflation and economic hardship.
   
While Tinubu emphasised the importance of hard work and patience to rebuild the nation, HURIWA highlighted that the federal budget allocated billions of naira to feed and maintain the President and Vice President’s families at taxpayers’ expense.  
 
The rights group lamented that the provision of free meals, housing and entertainment contradicted the President’s assertion that “there is no free beer parlour,” as it indicated that the leaders themselves benefit from a system that provided for their needs without personal financial contribution.
  
It also criticised the National Assembly for its complacency in approving these budgets, despite the constitutional irregularities of certain expenditures, particularly those related to the Office of the First Lady.
 
HURIWA further condemned the unconstitutional nature of the expenditures associated with the Office of the First Lady, which is not recognised by the Nigerian constitution.
 
“According to reports, over N700 million has been spent on First Lady Remi Tinubu’s foreign trips in the past three months alone. The civic tech platform, GovSpend, revealed that the government paid N701 million for the First Lady’s trips to the United States, France, Mozambique, Ethiopia and the United Kingdom between November 2023 and March 2024,” it noted.
 
These trips, according to HURIWA, have no bearing on national interest and serve only to drain public funds for personal luxury. HURIWA urged Nigerians to hold their leaders accountable and continue to demand better governance.
 
It stressed that true reform and economic recovery could only be achieved when those in power lead by example, cutting down on wasteful expenditures and prioritising the welfare of the people over personal luxury.