Expect ‘Masses Revolt’ Against Govs Stealing Public Funds- Nigerians Warn

Nigerian governors have been told to publicly declare their innocence from allegations that they contribute to the advanced poverty rates among Nigerians by their misappropriation of local government allocations.

Nigerians who spoke with THE WHISTLER on Monday advised the governors to come out bold, or be seen as the cause of hopelessness Nigerians have found themselves presently.

Recall that the federal government accused state governors of not appropriately applying allocations meant to alleviate poverty in rural areas.

Rivers Governor Nyesome Wike alongside Gov Samuel Ortom of Benue State washed their hands clean, urging the FG to be specific. Wike boasted that the G5 Governors of the PDP do not tamper with LG funds.

Barr Ray Nnaji, a chieftain of the PDP and former council chairman in Enugu State, said, “The Nigerian Constitution made it that LGAs are under state governments. That was why states went to court against the autonomy of LGAs. That also informed the joint accounts run in states.

“So, it will be hard for council chairmen to expose such deals because they are governors’ appointees. That is why governors ensure that their candidates win at LG polls.”

Oliver Amechi, a lawyer, said, “Governor’s feed fat on LG funds. The chairmen won’t say anything because they benefit. When allocations come, after governors collect their chunks in the name of joint accounts, whatever happens to the rest will be the decision of chairmen. How many of them have ever been probed or impeached? There won’t be any because they obey the command, anchored on the submission of allocations to governors.”

For Onyinye Eje, an NGO operator in Awka, “I expected the masses to revolt with that revelation by the finance minister. But we have all kept quiet. Governors should tell us how much have come, and how they were expended. It was the same Wike that exposed the derivation funds that were released to oil producing states. Other governors never wanted us to know.”

Ebubeagu Okafor, a chieftain of APC in Enugu State, however, asked President Buhari to explain how insecurity in the country has compounded the situation.

He said, “Criminals have taken our farms, and no arrest made. Whose duty is it to secure us? Buhari’s poverty alleviation programme has also failed. He couldn’t deliver to make our refineries operational as petroleum minister. So all of them should be blamed.”

A public affairs analysts, Comrade Ken Eze, said, “So Buhari is just becoming aware of what is happening? Why the exposé now? The ruling class has used poverty as a tool to cow all of us. It is good the fight is starting within them.”