The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has advised Nigerians to demand accountability from the state governors on how they utilised the over N570 billion disbursed to them by the President Bola Tinubu-led administration as livelihood support.
This is even as it condemned the attacks on journalists covering the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests by some security personnel.
Recall that President Tinubu revealed during a televised national broadcast to Nigerians following nationwide hunger protests that over N570 billion was released to the 36 states of the federation to expand livelihood support to vulnerable citizens.
The NGE’s General Secretary, Iyobosa Uwugiaren, called on citizens to demand accountability of the support funds during an anti-corruption radio program, PUBLIC CONSCIENCE, produced by the Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development (PRIMORG), Wednesday in Abuja.
Uwugiaren, who stressed that active citizenship was critical to entrenching, said, “It is high time Nigerians started holding leaders accountable.” Additionally, the onus is now on the citizens, civil society organizations, and the media to get explanations for the utilization of resources at the subnational level.
He lamented the failure of the state legislatures to check the excesses of state governors as they are doubtful to question how the over N570 billion released to the 36 states of the federation was spent.
“We have to start holding the governors accountable. The Federal government recently disbursed about N570 billion to 36 state governors, and I can assure you that that money will not get to the local government purse.
“The question we should be asking is how do we engage the governors to find out what they do with the internally generated revenue funds they collect with the local governments. The federal government should stop behaving like Father Christmas because that’s why people think the FG has the solution to all Nigeria’s economic problems when the solution lies in the hands of some State Governors.
“Nigerians must take back this country from the political elite who wants to destroy this country, and the only way we can continue to do that is by holding them accountable, by being actively involved in what they are doing.
“Civil society groups need to do a lot of job along the line in enlightening the citizens that they also elected their local government chairman and governors to better their lives,” Iyobosa stressed.
Speaking on the fallout of the #Endbadgovernance protests, Iyobosa berated the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, for absolving personnel of wrongdoings and attacks on journalists while calling for more training and equipping of police men and women in such situations.
“I have many of my colleagues who were brutalized. We (NGE) documented about 16 journalists who were harassed.
“As a point, the president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors – Eze Anaba, was in touch with the IGP and asked him to call his men to order.
“The Police didn’t behave very well; they were not professional in managing the scenario, and I was shocked that even the Military and the State Security Service were more professional than the police,” he said.
On her part, Human Rights Lawyer Mojirayo Ogunlana criticized attacks on journalists and peaceful protesters in some instances while noting that the nationwide protests have increased citizens’ awareness and have awakened the consciousness of holding elected leaders to account.
She emphasized that the August 2024 protests achieved a lot as the government is seen trying to address many people’s problems. While stressing that “as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution, journalists are critical to improving good governance in the nation, hence the need for security agencies to protect them.”
Speaking on accountability of N570 billion disbursed by the administration of President Bola Tinubu to state governments, Ogunlana said: “To entrench good governance, the people cannot go to sleep, you must follow all these politicians bumper to bumper whether at the local strata, the states and the federal level; everywhere you have to be on their case and hold them accountable.”
Public Conscience is a syndicated weekly anti-corruption radio program PRIMORG uses to draw government and citizens’ attention to corruption and integrity issues in Nigeria.
