Wike Challenges President Mohammadu Buhari to call out names of Governors stealing Local Government Allocation

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The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola has revealed that the 36 state governors have been diverting the money that should be used for the payment of salaries of local government workers. This revelation came after the recent faceoff between President Mohammadu Buhari and Governor Nasir El-Rufai over the release of fund to state Governors. In a speech delivered by Fashola to his audience at the signing ceremony of contracts for the Energizing Education Programme on Wednesday, November 2nd, he said: “We discovered that some governors were using federal allocation meant for local governments instead.”

In his remarks, Fashola noted that some governors have been stealing from their states’ budgets and using them to buy vehicles and other personal items at exorbitant prices. “The system is not working anymore because we have discovered some people are stealing money from local governments through budget appropriation frauds or by selling land belonging to their respective states for peanuts in order to raise funds for personal gain or worse still, they steal public goods like roads without any accountability whatsoever. This needs urgent attention so as not only will Nigerians suffer but also those who want honest leadership must be protected from this kind of opportunism which has been destroying everything good about Nigeria since its inception into existence.

The minister stressed further that it’s not a bad thing if governors try to raise money even with their personal resources just so that they can continue to pay their workers; but he also mentioned that it is not good for them to use federal allocation meant for local governments instead.

Fashola said: “It’s fine for them (governors) to take money from the Federal Government and other sources and use it for the general welfare of their people.”

Following this emerging story. one of the Governors that has challenged the federal government to call out the names of the Governors stealing from the Local Government funds is the Governor of Rivers State. Wike has challenged the federal government to release the names of those who are behind the act. The Rivers State governor made this announcement in a town hall meeting he held with PDP faithfuls in Port Harcourt.

The minister Fashola stressed further that it’s not a bad thing if governors try to raise money even with their personal resources just so that they can continue to pay their workers; but he also mentioned that it is not good for them to use federal allocation meant for local governments instead.