Cost Of Living Crisis: Group Challenges State Governors To Utilise Tinubu Initiatives, Palliatives

The Democratic Front (TDF) has expressed concern about the standoffish posturing of state governors, who appear to be idly looking away rather than complementing the federal government’s efforts to alleviate the impact of global living costs on our country.

In a statement signed by its Chairman, Mallam Danjuma Muhammad, and Secretary, Chief Wale Adedayo, the group described the State governors’ response as lukewarm and questioned why many of them remain aloof, as if they are unconcerned about the turn of events, despite receiving large sums of money monthly.

We also wonder why Nigerians are not feeling the impact of what President Bola Tinubu sends to the states for the benefit of the people in their respective domains,” the group said.

The group cited President Bola Tinubu’s prompt release of N570 billion, among other interventions over the clamour of hunger, as a powerful short-term response to Nigeria’s current high cost of living.

“We recognise the President’s action as a continuation of his efforts to propose viable solutions in the short, medium, and long term to mitigate the effects of fuel subsidy removal. But where is the governor in all of this?

“Other initiatives include the disbursement of nano funds to small businesses, the suspension of import duties on food and pharmaceutical items, conditional fund transfers to three million households, and the distribution of 20 truckloads of rice to each state in the federation. We only saw rice being distributed to the masses in one state. What is happening? The group enquired.

In terms of other Presidential interventions, TDF cited the recent directive to sell crude oil to Dangote and other local refineries in Naira, which it described as a subsidy in and of itself. It aims to reduce living costs as quickly as possible.

“It is public knowledge that the TDF has repeatedly criticised sub-national governments for their lacklustre attitude towards complementing the Federal Government’s developmental efforts, but we will not stop calling on them to do their part.

“For us, the cluster of far-reaching interventions and actions carried out by President Tinubu’s administration in the last year would have had a more positive impact on Nigerians if states and local governments had complimented the President’s gestures timely and prudently.

“We want to emphasise that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As amended) did not give the Federal Government powers to oversee or supervise the activities of subnational governments.

“We are, however, disappointed that President Tinubu’s policies and interventions to alleviate current hardship, which were primarily channelled through state governments, did not reach the intended beneficiaries at the grassroots. This could explain why some uninformed people were duped into joining the unnecessary and unjustified protest against the president.

“We are aware that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has released N570 billion to all 36 states to address Nigerians’ immediate socioeconomic needs since December 2023, but many people only recently learnt about it because the states were silent.

“We also acknowledge that at no time in recent history has so much money and effort been dedicated to cushioning the biting effects of economic hardship on Nigerians as it has been in the last year by the Tinubu administration.”

TDF also highlighted recent federal government efforts and questioned what states had done in the last year to improve allocations.

“Massive investments in railways, coastal superhighways, CNG vehicles and technologies, the digital economy through the 3MTT program, agricultural mechanisation and production, student loans, and unprecedented fiscal autonomy for the 774 Local Governments are revolutionary steps that will permanently eliminate poverty in the country.” And set Nigerians on a path to prosperity and economic abundance.

“The difficulties of a symbiotic working relationship between the Federal Government and the Sub-National governments largely accounted for Nigerians’ inability to access and benefit from the numerous Federal Government economic interventions that were purposefully designed to cushion the painful effects of economic reforms.

“Regardless of our understanding of why President Tinubu channelled his multiple interventions through state governments, we want to admonish the administration to view the recent protest as a wake-up call to create its channels to directly reach the teeming populace with future economic aid and support, without involving sub-national governments.

“We believe that this innovation will make it easier for people to access direct federal government interventions, as well as encourage states to deploy their interventions using funds allocated by FAAC.”