One Trillion Naira Release: Call Out Your Governors – Shehu Sani

● Governor Makinde refutes claim, says Akpabio relied on an unverified report;

● Too much money under control of state’s, – Reno Omokri;

● Fubara too busy to look in Akpabio’s direction – Aide;

● Rivers Gov will win State any day – Evans Bipi

By PHC Telegraph

Senator Shehu Sani has called out State governors, saying they have a lot to explain, following revelations that over one trillion naira has been released to them to cater for the welfare of Nigerians in these hard times.

A breakdown of the figure shows that each governor regardless of the size of his state purportedly received N30 billion under a federal plan designed to cushion the impact of the massive suffering that Nigerians are going through.

The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, ruffled by what looks like an anti-Tinubu campaign that is spreading through the country like a bushfire disclosed that the said sum has been disbursed by the  Federal Government  to states in a bid to reduce the level of hunger.

Akpabio’s claim which is resonating among the people, including the elite, has not been repudiated  by most State governors who are dismayed by his comment.

“There is a growing feeling” said  an analyst in Port Harcourt that “Governors are not being interrogated by the Nigerian people. They get a huge chunk of the money from Nigeria’s Federation Account.

“What are State Governors doing to reduce the pain that ordinary people in their states are feeling? That’s the question to ask.”

A former top aide to President Goodluck Jonathan,  Reno Omokri said so much has really happened to improve the cash flow position of the States under the Tinubu administration.

“Before subsidy removal, Nasarawa was receiving ₦4.3 billion monthly federal allocation. After subsidy removal, Nasarawa is receiving ₦12.3 billion monthly”, Omokri revealed.

“Enugu’s monthly allocation went from ₦3.4 billion monthly to ₦6.7 billion. This year, the thirty-six states are projected to receive ₦5.6 trillion.”

Senator Sani who took to his official handle on Twitter, now X, said it is time to ask State governors who are alleged recipients of the humongous sum to tell the Nigerian people what they have done with the money.

“Senate President Akpabio revealed that every state Governor was given N30Billion”, the Senator who represented Kaduna State in the Senate said.

“That sum is adequate to solve the problem of hunger in your state”, the fair-skinned Senator who had serious running battles with Governor Nasir El-Rufai stressed.

“Call out your state Government and hold them accountable as you do to the FG….N30Billion is NOT 3k”,  Sani urged Nigerians.

“Last year”, Omokri insisted, “they got ₦3.3 trillion. And their wage bill has not increased. It remains the same. In addition to this, their Internally Generated Revenue has also increased. Their VAT revenue has also risen.

“So tell me, why should you be facing economic hardship when your Governor receives double the allocation he used to receive?

“Why is the Nigerian Labour Congress not protesting against them? What has your state government done to alleviate your poverty?

“Why is it only Tinubu you are facing, and leaving your Governor? At least Tinubu is paying ₦35,000 wage support to federal employees. What is your Governor paying?”

Nigerians who are reading between the lines are gradually coming to the realisation that the financial expenditure pattern of state governors ought to come under scrutiny.

Since Akpabio made the disclosure, only the Governor of Oyo State and a member of the G5, Seyi Makinde, has issued a reaction.

Makinde who was speaking at the inauguration of a mosque in Iseyin said the Senate President is merely playing politics.

“This is not the time to play politics, as we have real issues that deserve real solutions. But yesterday, I saw the video and read in the news where the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, made a statement, though he said it was unverified report, stating that the state governments received additional N30 billion from the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, outside of our statutory allocation, in the last few months, to address food security”, Makinde remarked.

“Please, listen to me loud and clear. I can speak for Oyo State and can also speak for any of my colleagues”, Governor Makinde emphasized, “This is because, as the Vice Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, I know when things are happening.

“If I want to play politics, I will keep quiet and let this slide, but I am not going to let this slide. FIRS cannot give money to any state. It is not possible.

“All revenues accruing to the country goes into the federation account and it is distributed to all tiers of government. The federal government does not give states money. The money in the federation belongs to all of us. It does not only belong to the federal government.

“So, if the senate president, who is the number three citizen in this country, could be quoting an unverified report, people are looking at us as leaders.

“This is the period that we are supposed to give confidence to our people. It is not the period to start playing politics or to start looking for scapegoats,” Mr Makinde added.

However, there has been no reaction officially from the head of the Rivers State Government since Akpabio made the claim.

A Government House source in Port Harcourt said, “The Governor is too busy to concern himself with matters like this. We are not looking in the direction of Akpabio.

“What we are doing is delivering service to the Rivers people.  That’s what matters most to this administration. ”

Recall that Akpabio had strongly stressed the need for an Ogoni son to contest for the governorship seat in 2027.

This was interpreted in some political circles to mean Fubara may not be in a position to win a second term ticket.

Wike had said it would be difficult for anyone to challenge the coalition that he leads while speaking at Koroma-Tai.

But Evans Bipi said while speaking on behalf of Fubara when a group of women paid a solidarity visit that Fubara would win elections in Rivers state and win well.