Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, has asked the federal government to provide details of the N1.1 trillion allegedly disbursed to governors to alleviate the economic hardship in the country.
This is even as he said that the government must stop the unproductive habit of throwing scarce and borrowed money at immediate problems, and consumption.
Obi’s demand followed the claim by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, that an “unverified report” showed that state governors received N30 billion each from the federation account to alleviate the economic hardship and ravaging hunger in their respective domains.
However, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State dismissed the report, saying there was no truth in the claim by Akpabio that states of the federation got an additional N30 billion each outside of their statutory revenue allocations.
Obi, in a statement on his X handle on Friday, said the details of the disbursement should be explained for the interest of good governance and transparency.
According to him, it would enable the masses, for whom the support is meant, to follow through and ensure that it is utilized appropriately to their benefit.
He further appealed to the state governments to ensure that the resources are genuinely and transparently invested in productive ventures to alleviate the present hardship.
“Recently, the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, announced that a staggering financial support of N1.1 trillion, amounting to a sum of N30 billion each was doled out to the state governors to help ameliorate the present hardship in the country.
“While the Federal Government is to be commended for offering such a huge support, considering the difficult times people are going through, it is pertinent, for the interest of good governance and transparency, that the details of the disbursement of such support be explained further, so that the public, the masses for whom the support is meant, can follow through and ensure that it is utilized appropriately to the benefit of the people.
“While waiting for such details, I appeal that concerted efforts should be made to ensure that the resources are genuinely and transparently invested in productive ventures to alleviate present hardship and help the future growth of the country,” he wrote.
