Governors of the 36 states have accused the Federal Government of abandoning its duty of addressing the security challenges crippling economic activities in the country.
The governors, under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, said the rising level of poverty among Nigerians was a consequence of the biting effect of insecurity on commercial and agricultural activities.
They also alleged that the Federal Government’s inaction had allowed “bandits, insurgents, and kidnappers to turn the country into a killing field”.
While reacting to the claim by the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clement Agba, that the 36 governors were responsible for the rising poverty index in the country, the forum argued that the governors had made tremendous progress in their respective states through relevant projects.
The Federal Government had through the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clement Agba, at the end of the last Federal Executive Council Meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja accused the governors of the 36 States of the Federation of among Other things of being responsible for the crippling poverty across the States especially at the grassroots.
The Minister has gone further saying State Governments have made the Local Governments redundant by starving them of funds due them through the frustration of the Executive Order 5 which was issued by President Muhammadu Buhari to entrench Financial Autonomy for the the third tier of government and ensure development trickles down to the grassroots.
He added that the State Governments have having achieved this diabolical aim concentrate only on the State capitals to the detriment of the grassroots making it difficult for people at the grassroots to access essential services to enhance their lives.
He accused the States of also being untruthful in disclosing their financial Status making every little thing that should be done by the States a business of the Federal Government.
