$8.5 Evacuation Money; In Whose Pocket?

*President Muhammadu Buhari approves $8.5 million to evacuate 5,000 Nigerians from Ukraine.*

*ME:* 

1. *They* may be evacuated from neighboring countries such as Romania (capital city of Bucharest), Hungary (Capital city of Budapest) or Poland (capital city of Warsaw)

2. *The* highest estimate of Nigerians in Ukraine is 4,000 ( who keeps the money of the extra 1,000 persons?)

3. *Some* persons have returned to Nigeria on their personal expenses. Others are staying back in Hungary, Poland and Romania waiting for situation to normalize. Some of the non-students are moving on to Austria and Germany and may not return. The budget for 5,000 is inexplicable.

4. *At* $8.5m for 5,000 persons, it means that the average cost of flight is $1,7000 per passenger.

5. *Qatar* Airways' round trip from Bucharest to Lagos is $688

6. *Turkish* Air, round trip from Budapest to Lagos is $637.

7. *KLM* round trip from Warsaw to Lagos is $680

8. *Let* us assume blindly that with miscellaneous expenses, a flight will cost an average of $750.

9. *Let* us also assume, even more blindly, that 4,000 compatriots will be evacuated. 4,000 X $750 = $3million. 

$8.5m - $3m = $5.5m. This explains why Nigeria is referred to as the poverty capital of the world.

*10. Conclusion*: The tension is less because many are already in safe countries.

Now, why is the cost of every project in Nigeria heavily inflated? 

Why is every pain always turned into private gains for a few? 

Will the differences be returned or pocketed?

*Still* on international travels, recall that in 2020, there was global lockdown and restrictions on air travel. President Buhari and VP Osinbajo remained in Nigeria.

*N2.5bn* had been previously budgeted for their local and international travels in 2020. No publishes record has shown that unspent money was refunded. In the 2021 budget, another N2.426bn was freshly budgeted for their travels!

Meaning that the money for 2020 entered voice mail?

*Is* this the country that is borrowing to finance her budgets with many families struggling to feed once a day? The same country where ASUU is on strike and fuel scarcity is biting hard? The same country where at least 15 million children are on the streets?

Is this the same country where so much money had been budgeted and inflated for security, while our soldiers and civilians continue to die?

*I wait for answers!*

@Frederick Odorige. 

Twitter:@FOdorige 

#23onto23

#2023_Operation100MillionVotes