By Augustine Akhilomen

While many Nigerians are fuming in anger and laying accusing fingers on the current administration of President Bola Tinubu for the unending economic hardship ravaging the country, many have forgotten that the bulk of the blame should not only be on Tinubu but also on some of the state governors, who have largely failed in alleviating the economic hardship faced by citizens in their respective states.

There is no doubt that since the President’s announcement of removal of fuel subsidy on May 29, 2023 and the fluctuation of exchange rate between Naira and Dollars, it has drastically affected the prices of goods and services in the country.

However, one of the many steps taken by the federal government to ameliorate the condition of living includes, the disbursement of money to all the state governors, to be used as a means of palliative so as to cushion the economic hardship amongst Nigerians.


There are however growing concerns among Nigerians that despite massive increase in revenue allocations available to the various levels of government, both states and local governments, after the removal of fuel subsidies, state governors are not doing enough to ease the suffering of citizens. Critics have variously accused the governors of paying lip service to the suffering and hunger that is currently rocking the country.



“I wonder what most of the governors are doing. It’s not a secret that their monthly allocations have increased exponentially, but there is no corresponding increase in the quality of life of the people. Rather, they are going up and down on a spending spree without anything concrete to show for it, says Kunle Thomas, a Lagos based lawyer.

While not absolving the federal government from the current economic crisis, many Nigerians have begun to raise questions on what the state governors are doing to alleviate the sufferings of the citizens in their various domains. Observers are worried that there is a lack concrete measures across the states to address this lingering crisis of hunger.

Apart from the considerable windfall in revenue allocations, the governors have also enjoyed considerable support from Tinubu’s administration, as they recently received N7 billion and N2 billion each for infrastructure support and fuel subsidy palliative, respectively.

It was perhaps against this backdrop that the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, remarked recently that state governors have no reason to fail their people, noting that the revenue allocations available to all the tiers of government have increased since June 2023.

“The 36 states have enjoyed overwhelming support from President Tinubu’s administration, having recently been given N7 billion each for infrastructure support, in addition to the N2 billion earlier given as fuel subsidy palliative.

“State governors thus have no reason not to do a lot for their people, instead of the obsession with the center. By spending money on roads and other infrastructure, many jobs will be created, and people will have money to spend,” Onanuga said.

In the same vein, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mumuni Abayomi Nureini, has called on Nigerians to hold state governors accountable for the current economic hardship being experienced in the country.

His words “The monthly FAAC allocation to states has increased dramatically. The people should hold their state governors to account for what they are doing with the funds.” The state government is closer to the people than the federal government and their interventions will go a long way to bring relief to the people in these difficult times.

“It is surprising that while some state governors have risen up to the occasion, the majority of them have been docile. The people should ask questions from the governors too.

Meanwhile, the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Adewale Akanbi, also added his voice, urging President Bola Tinubu to hold governors accountable for the hardship Nigerians are suffering.

Akanbi said governors should explain why Nigerians are suffering despite the huge federal allocation shared by the federal government. “What is going on in Nigeria now is temporary. Economists will tell you that the step that the federal government is taking is the right one.

“There is no way residents can get money except through the governors, senators, House of Representatives members, and council chairmen. The allocation being given to the state now is large, and no government has given such an allocation before.

“The subsidy money is being given out by the federal government. So, why are Nigerians still hungry? It means something is wrong with those getting the funds.

“It seems that they are protecting themselves; if not, the president ought to have asked them what they are putting the money into. This is the time for the president to demand accountability.”

However, Director General of the All Progressives Congress State Assembly Forum (ASAF), Fubara Dagogo has told the Federal Government to desist from apportioning blame but to come up with a workable solution to address the economic hardship in the country.

“We at ASAF believe that this is the time to act and act fast. The federal government and governors must introduce measures using their various assemblies to return hope to the people.

“They must renege from the current trend of attacks, blames and buck passing against each other because all the levels of government are involved in the untold hardship that Nigerians are currently passing through

“So far it seems like there is no solution to all these, but we at ASAF believe that it is not over yet as governments continue to experiment with the various options on their table.

“The various state assemblies would happily endorse the life saving programs that their governors would introduce because they are really the ones that are closer to their constituents and they also feel the pains of this hardship with them

“Nigerians are in dire need of solutions from the government to take us out of the suffering situation, and we believe that the government must think and brace up with the challenges before the hardship sinks the country.

“This is not the time for blame, rather it is time for inward thinking by the government both at the federal and state levels,” he said.

Many observers also believe that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) who have always been initiating protests across the country appears to have lost the respect and core value to truly bring the Federal Government to its knees. While the media, according to them, have done little or nothing to hold the state governors responsible for their inability to arrest the situation, despite all the money they received from the FG.

While it is constitutionally understandable that the Tinubu led federal government will regularly release funds to states and local governments in its bid to achieve its ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’, it is also important to implore the key players at the Centre to thread with caution as it is now obvious that many of the states are deliberately compounding the economic woes going by the way and manner some of them have been managing the affairs of their respective states.

The era of blame-shifting has gone, the time for genuine leadership and good governance in all strata is now. Reality must be faced for national socioeconomic growth, political integration and all round development. Pointing an accusing finger at the federal government should rather be downplayed for now, as it is now clear that the state governments have been the direct beneficiaries of the proceeds of the fuel subsidy since June last year and there is no nothing to show for it.

Even then and more worrisome, is the fact that the governors behave like emperors in their various states. They are not accountable nor are they responsible to the citizens. Sadly too, the state various state assemblies have failed since the beginning of the current democratic dispensation, to hold the governors accountable for their actions or inactions.

Hence, the effects are bad governance and irresponsible leadership. “We therefore need to hold these governors who feel they can do anything and go away with it accountable. If the lawmakers fail to do their job, the civil societies and citizens should rise up and hold them accountable for their actions. That’s the only way to ensure good governance, equity and justice”, says Thomas.