Nigeria’s opposition figure, Peter Obi, has again condemned President Bola Tinubu’s trip to St. Lucia as grossly inappropriate and unacceptable, saying it came at a time when the nation is “bleeding and in turmoil.”

“When I said that the president embarking on an eight-day state visit to St. Lucia at this critical time was inappropriate and unacceptable, it was not a lack of respect for the country of St.Lucia; rather, it is about the timing and duration for a president whose nation is in turmoil,” said Mr Obi in a statement on Tuesday night. “Timing is everything, and right now, at this time, Nigeria is bleeding.”

Mr Tinubu had travelled to Saint Lucia for a state visit aimed at strengthening ties with Caribbean nations and enhancing South-South cooperation.

Mr Obi, who described Nigeria as a dysfunctional country, said it was disturbing that the president “had no passion for people’s plights”, and was vacationing abroad as terrorists kill citizens and children are unable to attend schools due to poor welfare of teachers.

“It is alarming that we now live in a country of titles and honours without any passion for the people’s plight. While the presidency basks in the euphoria of titles, St.Lucia, our people are being killed at home,” he noted.

“Having been in St. Lucia for the past four days, we have not seen any agreement being entered or signed that would contribute to Nigeria’s development but rather we are watching Mr. President collect a personal honour and title in St. Lucia, because they know we are a country of titles and honour and crave accolades instead of actual development.

“Just today, as the president received titles in St. Lucia, at least 37 people were killed in Yobe State, in a Boko Haram attack, and currently, today, protesters in Kwara state have been protesting unemployment, banditry and high insecurity in the state,” the politician noted.

Mr Obi also criticised those justifying Mr Tinubu’s trip, stating that the president should have taken a cue from Indian and Chinese leaders, who would not attend the BRICS summit to fix challenges in their respective countries.

The politician urged the president to prioritise addressing the country’s challenges above vacations abroad.

“A nation in pain cannot afford a leadership in denial. At a time when blood is being spilt on our soil, when children are orphaned and communities erased overnight, with families separated at IDPs, our children are not in school, teachers are not paid, and basic hospitals are not functional, our leadership must be present.

“Our children being in school, our people, especially young ones, being pulled out of poverty, we must now prioritise the security and welfare of Nigerians and vigorously pursue the same. We must prioritise our own domestic challenges because no vacation, no summit and definitely no conference is more important than the lives of the Nigerian people you swore to protect,” the politician said.