Seyi Makinde counters Tinubu’s claim on N570bn hardship grants to 36 states, says Oyo didn’t receive any money
The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde has denied taking part in the N570bn hardship grant claimed to have been given to the state governments by the Federal Government.
Recall that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu while addressing Nigerians in a broadcast during the #EndBadGovernance nationwide protests against hunger and hardship, said the government has disbursed N570bn to the 36 states.
Tunubu also said that Nigeria spends N2tn monthly to import Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, and Automotive Gas Oil, otherwise known as diesel.
He disclosed that N9.1tn was accumulated as total fiscal revenue to the Federal Government’s coffers during the first half of 2024, marking a significant increase from what was earned by the previous administration.
“Also, more than N570bn has been released to the 36 states to expand livelihood support to their citizens, while 600,000 nano-businesses have benefitted from our nano-grants. An additional 400,000 more nan0-businesses are expected to benefit,” the President stated.
However, Makinde in a newsletter No 95 |August 2024 issued on Thursday said the state was not in the know of such a grant.
The governor clarified that the money received by the states were actually World Bank COVID-19 funds, with the federal government acting only as an intermediary between the international creditor and the 36 states.
He disclosed that N9.1tn was accumulated as total fiscal revenue to the Federal Government’s coffers during the first half of 2024, marking a significant increase from what was earned by the previous administration.
“Also, more than N570bn has been released to the 36 states to expand livelihood support to their citizens, while 600,000 nano-businesses have benefitted from our nano-grants. An additional 400,000 more nan0-businesses are expected to benefit,” the President stated.
However, Makinde in a newsletter No 95 |August 2024 issued on Thursday said the state was not in the know of such a grant.
The governor clarified that the money received by the states were actually World Bank COVID-19 funds, with the federal government acting only as an intermediary between the international creditor and the 36 states.
He further explained that the funding was contingent on what the states had already spent on COVID-19 programs, meaning the World Bank was simply reimbursing what the states had used to address the pandemic crisis.
He said, “In my newsletter tonight, I responded to a question from a concerned citizen of Oyo State regarding the claim that the Federal Government ‘gave’ States over N570 billion as some kind of ‘hardship fund’ for citizens.
“So, in direct response to the message, the Federal Government did not give Oyo State any money. We were reimbursed funds (N5.98 billion in the first instance and N822 million in the second instance) we invested in the three result areas of NG-CARES, which includes inputs distribution to smallholder farmers within our State.
“In fact, when the World Bank saw our model for the distribution of inputs preceded by biometric capturing of beneficiary farmers, they adopted it as the NG-CARES model.”
He further said; “Oyo State has always led in ensuring transparency in any donor-facilitated interventions. This is why we are always picked as one of the subnational beneficiaries. We are exhibiting the same level of transparency in another World Bank-Facilitated project, the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project. I spoke about this in my last newsletter.
This project is designed to create a resilient livestock landscape, leveraging our comparative advantage in dairy, goat and sheep farming, poultry, and piggery. You may follow this link to register as a livestock farmer in Oyo State. I will speak more about this project at the official flag-off.
“We continue to embrace every opportunity to break from the norm as we implement projects and policies in the agriculture sector, which we identified since 2019 as one of the focal areas in building a sustainable economy. Agriculture as a business requires substantial investment. While we continue to invest in and support our smallholder farmers, we know we cannot rely solely on them to ensure food security; we need to think bigger.
“We also acknowledge that Oyo State alone cannot bring Nigeria out of its economic difficulties. What we can do is provide a model for others to follow.
“As I take a brief pause from my usual duties for four weeks, I am confident that the structures we have put in place will continue to drive our state forward. Thank you for your unwavering support and understanding. Together, we can create a model of productivity and resilience that can inspire the entire nation.”
Makinde’s denial comes on the heels of controversies that greeted the nationwide hunger and hardship protests.
The protest reported to have been peaceful in many states, had also turned violent in some northern states, with hoodlums carting away goods and facilities belonging to both the government and individuals.
Some protesters in the north were also seen brandishing the Russian flag, a development which has been widely condemned and described as a treasonable offence.
The Department of State Service (DSS) has since announced the arrest and investigation of sponsors of the violent protests, including the arrest of seven Polish nationals.
The Services also vowed to announce the names of the sponsors behind the violent protests.
