Amid rebuttals of payment of N30 billion to governors to resolve food crisis, Nigeria’s Senate President Godswill Akpabio has made a U-turn and apologized for making the claim.
Recall that Akpabio had said based on unverified report, each of the 36 Nigerian state governors received additional N30 billion from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to tackle food scarcity and hardships facing Nigerians.
In a rejoinder by Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity and official Spokesperson said ‘‘The office of the President of the Senate has been drawn to various misconceptions in the public domain on the statement credited to the President of the Senate in plenary of Wednesday, February 21, 2024, during the presentation of a report of the joint Committees on Finance, Agriculture/Food Sufficiency, Banking and Insurance.
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‘‘During the session the President of the Senate commented on the payment of an unverified cumulative sum of about #30b to the sub-national governments by the Federal Government for various interventions to ameliorate the food situation of our citizens at the sub-national governments.
‘‘The unfortunate conjectures to take away the kernel in the material facts of FAAC payment are rather regretted. In considering the well-intended motive of urging state governments to collaborate with the Federal government of President Bola Tinubu to facilitate strategic interventions to mitigate the prevailing economic situation in the country remains the underpinning motivation in the comment.’’
According to the statement, ‘‘The President of the Senate is not oblivious to the fact that State governments are functional partners in all the efforts of the current administration of President Bola Tinubu and are also valuable Stakeholders’ in the various legislative engagements of the legislature in creating the nexus between the legislature and the people.
‘‘The President of the Senate has always demonstrated commitment to team building and shall not do less in the circumstance. He, therefore, urges the sub-national governments not to be distracted by any misunderstanding of the context and true meaning of the statement.’’
‘‘The President of the Senate recognizes and appreciates the current efforts of the governors at ameliorating the adverse effects of the current inclement socio-economic environment and therefore invites more hands on the plow to complement the renewed hope agenda,’’ the statement added.
Governors Makinde, Eno’s rebuttals
However, Oyo State Governor and Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Seyi Makinde, on Thursday, declared that there was no truth in the claim by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, that states of the federation got an additional N30 billion each outside of their statutory revenue allocations, to address food insecurity in their states.
A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Suleiman Olarenwaju in Ibadan, the state capital, said the state has not received any N30 billion from the Federal Inland Revenue Service or the Federal Government, and that his administration has been and will always be open and transparent to the people of the state.
The Governor, who added that he has been doing everything to cushion the effects of the economic hardship on the people, warned that leaders should instill confidence and hope in the citizenry in this trying time rather than playing the blame game.
Makinde stated this in Iseyin where he commissioned the newly-renovated multi-billion naira Iseyin Central Mosque facilitated by a legal icon, Ahmed Raji, SAN, hailing the religious harmony in the state as being exemplary.
Moreover, Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno said that Senate President, Godswill Akpabio’s claim that the federal government had given the 36 states of the federation N30billion for palliative to cushion the hardship in the country was a prophecy, praying it would come to pass.
Governor Eno, who said while addressing journalists on Saturday said that the federal government only gave state governments N2 billion for palliative, and in turn, wrote to state governments that the N2billion was a loan and should be refunded.
On Saturday, February 24, the Governor said, “We are in a time where people want to be relevant, and they feel that being relevant is to incite the public, tell lies against the government.
“I know no civil society behaves like that. You have to understand how civil society in other climes work and try to balance information.
“The allocation to governments is managed by the state Ministry of Finance. There is a budget and there is always a published account. I would have asked that he wait, let the account be published, then he can ask questions, rather than raise false alarm.”
