A foundation member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Osita Okechukwu, has urged Nigerians to demand greater accountability from state governors, noting that they are the biggest beneficiaries of the removal of fuel subsidy.
Okechukwu made the call while reacting to recent remarks by the APC Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, who advised citizens to hold governors accountable for the increased allocations they now receive from the Federation Account following the subsidy removal.
According to Okechukwu, the call was timely, as many Nigerians continue to live in poverty despite the sharp rise in monthly allocations to state and local governments.
“In my own recalibration of events, the subnationals—States and LGAs—are the greatest beneficiaries of the removal of fuel subsidy,” he said.
He cited data from the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) showing that Nigeria spent trillions of naira on fuel subsidies over the years, with estimates such as N667 billion in 2010, N2.11 trillion in 2011, N1.36 trillion in 2012, and N4.39 trillion in 2022.
“Yet, despite the end of this huge expenditure, citizens still wallow in multidimensional poverty, insecurity, and poor infrastructure,” he added.
Okechukwu challenged Nigerians to change their mindset and stop blaming the Federal Government for all governance failures, stressing that the revenue is shared among the three tiers of government.
“Yilwatda’s appeal reminds us that accountability must cascade downwards, as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has demonstrated visible commitment to national renewal through reforms in energy and massive security funding,” he noted.
He appealed to APC governors, in particular, to take the chairman’s advice as a challenge to rededicate themselves to genuine development efforts.
“My candid appeal to adhere to Professor Yilwatda’s advice as a challenge to rededicate themselves to development is mostly to APC’s governors, especially now that we have an outstanding majority,” Okechukwu said.
