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From John Adams, Minna
A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State and former Commissioner for Information, Culture, and Tourism, Hon. Jonathan Vatsa, has advised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to stop allocating excess funds to state governors, accusing them of doing little or nothing with the money.
According to Vatsa, Nigerians are currently experiencing severe economic hardship not because money is lacking in the system, but because some governors have misplaced priorities.
This reaction follows a statement credited to President Tinubu advising state governors to stop building flyovers in areas with low vehicular traffic and instead channel those resources into genuine infrastructural development.
In a statement issued in Minna, Vatsa pointed out that the construction of most flyovers serves as a mere conduit pipe for self-enrichment by governors. Currently, five flyovers are under construction in Minna, the Niger State capital, alone.
The former publicity secretary of the party in the state stated that the tone of President Tinubu’s remarks indicates he recognizes the governors as a major challenge to his administration and the party. He noted that while governors smile home with huge federation account allocations, reportedly five times more than what their predecessors received, poverty continues to ravage the populace in most states.
“These are agents of underdevelopment; the President should stop giving them excess money because the people don’t feel the impact,” Vatsa fumed.
The former commissioner believes that the public backlash and resistance facing the administration stem from governors who have personalised governance.
“Every economic hardship, every inflationary spike, and every governance failure eventually finds its way to the doorstep of the President. Meanwhile, many state governments escape rigorous public scrutiny despite controlling increasingly substantial financial resources,” Vatsa stated.
