The governors of the 36 states have accused the federal government of failing to solve the security concerns that are impeding economic activity in the country.
Under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the governors stated that the rising degree of poverty among Nigerians was a result of the biting effect of insecurity on commercial and agricultural activity.
They also claimed that the passivity of the federal government had allowed “bandits, militants, and kidnappers to turn the country into a killing field.”
After The Sack of Two Minister, See The Full List Of All Buhari Ministers
In response to the accusation made by the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clement Agba, that the 36 governors were to blame for the country’s rising poverty index, the forum countered that the governors had made enormous progress in their various states.
The NGF, in a statement by its Director of Media and Public Affairs, AbdulRazaque Bello-Barkindo, said, “It is important to put on record the progress made by state governors in the administration of their states, which have witnessed tremendous progress in recent times. Governors have undertaken projects where they, in conjunction with their people, deem them fit for purpose.
“This dereliction of duty from the center is the main reason why people have been unable to engage in regular agrarian activity and commerce. Today, rural areas are insecure, markets are unsafe, travel surety is improbable and life for the common people generally is harsh and brutish.
“The opinion, therefore, of one minister, based on a survey of 56,000 households in a country of 200 million people can never diminish the good work that 36 pro-poor-minded governors are doing for this country.”
LATEST: Nigerian Governors Vow To Move Ahead With State Police
It also accused the minister of attempting to disprove the notion that rising levels of hunger and poverty were unique to Nigeria, rather than responding to a question about what he and his colleague, Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, were doing to alleviate the hardships that Nigerians were experiencing.
“Mr Agba explained that their government, through many of its social security programs, has been dedicating resources to alleviating hardship, and then goes further to accuse state governors of misdirecting resources to projects that have no impact on the people. While rightly pointing out that 72 per cent of the poverty in Nigeria is found in the rural areas, the minister said that the rural populace had been abandoned by governors,” the statement added.
The forum also described the Federal Government’s claim as “Mr Agba’s veiled and deliberate effort, as a minister, to protect his paymasters and politicise very critical issues of national importance”.
The statement further added, “The primary duty of any government is to ensure the security of lives and property, without which no sensible human activity takes place. But the Federal Government, which is responsible for the security of lives and property, has been unable to fulfil this covenant with the people, thus allowing bandits, insurgents, and kidnappers to turn the country into a killing field, maiming and abducting people, in schools market squares and even on their farmlands.
LATEST: Four Nigerian Governors May Soon Be Kidnapped If…
“How can a defenceless rural population maintain a sustainable lifestyle of peace and harmony when their lives are cut prematurely, and they wallow permanently in danger? How does a minister whose government has been unable to ensure security, law, and order have the temerity to blame governors?
“Under the current administration that Mr Agba is minister, the national cash cow, the NNPC, has failed to remit statutory allocations to states in several months. The situation had compelled governors to rely on other sources of revenue like the SFTAS program and other interventions anchored by the NGF, to fund state activities while monies budgeted for such federal ministries like agriculture, rural development, and humanitarian affairs, are not being deployed in the direction of the people.”
Similarly, Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu has denied tampering with monies belonging to the state’s local government areas.
This was stated by Akeredolu in response to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd. ), accusing governors of stealing local government funds.
The governor said in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Richard Olatunde, on Saturday that his administration had not touched funds designated for local governments since its establishment.
Nigerian Governors Demands For 42% Of Revenue From Federation Account
He further stated that his administration received 13% oil derivation, subsidy, and SURE-P reimbursements from the federation account in the last two years of 2021 and 2022, explaining that the refunds were prudently spent on major capital projects across the three senatorial districts.
The statement added, “As a matter of policy, monies meant for local governments are shared at their monthly Joint Account Allocation Committee. Mr Governor doesn’t touch local government funds. The local government chairmen can attest to the fact that they have total freedom in the management of their funds.
“The monthly FAAC receipts are devoted to the payment of salaries and pensions as agreed by labour leaders at the monthly meetings presided over by the Head of Service and Chairman of Joint Negotiating Council. Despite Governor Akeredolu’s vow to always pay salaries and pensions as and when due, the financial crisis across the country occasioned by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in non-payment of salaries in full for some months. As of January 2022, the government owed four months’ salary arrears as against the seven months inherited.
“Governor Akeredolu, having promised the civil servants in the state to prioritise payment of salaries, has continued to clear these backlogs of arrears. On three occasions this year, the government has paid double salaries in a month, thereby reducing the arrears. All salaries will be cleared before the year ends.
“If the amount expended on these infrastructural projects and payment of salary arrears is juxtaposed with the refunds, it is crystal clear that the monies were not mismanaged in Ondo State.
We Can Win Any Election In Nigeria With Our 41 Million Members – Buhari Boasts
“The administration of Governor Akeredolu stands on the tripod of transparency, accountability, and integrity. We will continue to hoist the flag of transparency in governance while pursuing excellence in the journey to transform the state for the better.”
Follow us on Facebook
Post Disclaimer
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author and forum participants on this website do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Anaedo Online or official policies of the Anaedo Online.