A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jonathan Vatsa, has called on President Bola Tinubu to reduce what he described as “excess funds” being allocated to state governors, accusing some of them of mismanaging resources meant for development.
Vatsa, a former Niger State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, said Nigeria’s economic challenges were not caused by a shortage of funds but by the failure of some state governments to effectively utilise increased federal allocations to improve the welfare of citizens.
He made the remarks on Saturday in Minna while reacting to President Tinubu’s recent warning to governors against prioritising projects such as flyovers in areas with limited traffic instead of focusing on programmes that directly benefit the people.
The APC chieftain said the President’s comments indicated that he was beginning to realise that some governors had become a major challenge to both his administration and the ruling party.
“Some governors have become agents of underdevelopment. The President should stop giving them excess money because the people are not feeling the impact,” Vatsa said.
He argued that despite the significant increase in monthly allocations received by states following the removal of fuel subsidy, many states had failed to deliver visible
improvements, while poverty and economic hardship continued to affect Nigerians.
Vatsa also criticised the construction of some infrastructure projects, citing ongoing flyover projects in Minna, Niger State, which he said had remained unfinished years after commencement.
According to him, such projects often become channels for wasteful spending and borrowing rather than sustainable development initiatives.
He warned that while governors control huge financial resources, public frustration over inflation, rising costs of living and governance failures is largely directed at President Tinubu.
“Every economic hardship, every inflationary pressure and every governance failure eventually finds its way to the doorstep of the President, while many state governments escape scrutiny despite controlling substantial resources,” he said.
Vatsa urged President Tinubu to establish a national development intervention programme similar to the former Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) and the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), arguing that such a structure would ensure funds saved from subsidy removal are directly invested in projects that benefit Nigerians.
He also called on the President to enforce the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments, alleging that many governors still control or withhold council allocations.
Vatsa claimed that local governments receive less than 10 per cent of their statutory allocations, a situation he said has weakened grassroots development and hindered efforts to address insecurity.
Samuel Agada is a writer and media contributor from Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria. He is a graduate of Biochemistry from the University of Jos and a former banker with GTBank and FCMB. A prolific writer, songwriter, educator, and Gospel preacher, he is passionate about informing, inspiring, and impacting society through his work.