A chieftain of the Labour Party (LP) of Nigeria and the chairman of Diaspora Affairs of the party, Hon. Divine Chike, has described the ₦5 billion palliative given to each state as mere palliative to the governors of the states, and not to the Nigerian populace.
Hon. Chike made the remarks while reacting to the recent announcement by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led federal government that it released ₦5 billion as palliative to each state to cushion the effect of the recent fuel subsidy removal.
The federal government also said it will release five trucks of rice to each state.
Reacting, the Labour Party chieftain noted that the Governors have rendered the Local Government Area (LGA) arm of government useless, hence making the sharing ₦5 billion palliative to the masses unrealistic.
He said: “You expect Governors that has rendered LGA arm of Government useless to share 5 billion naira palliative to the masses of their states?
“I think poor/corrupt governance at the state and LGA level started from the very day the federal government handed administration of Local Government into the hands of the governors to decide.
“The 27 Local Government Area Councils in Imo State look like abandoned buildings.
“The abandonment of our LGA administrations is evil, heartless and wickedness to the rural people of Nigeria.”
Chike lamented that Imo State LGAs receive up to 100 million Naira monthly from Federal government LGA allocation, yet nothing to show for it.
He attributed the lapse to the “greedy powerful governors of Nigeria” who will never allow the dividends or democracy to cascade down to the masses.
Speaking further, he said: “In Imo State today, no LGA receives nothing less than 100million naira every single month from the Federal government LGA allocation and yet nothing to show for it.
“Whenever I visit my LGA and see young vibrant youths roaming about within the locality when some of this youths can be engaged at the LGA government level with salary structured to keep them busy, and that will automatically reduce the insecurity at the local level.
“Just imagine the 774 LGAs in Nigeria functions in full capacity, operates independently with democratically elected LGA chairmen and councillors working optimally with full monthly allocation executing rural projects, I bet you we will have less of bandits, kidnappers, robberies etc.
“But know, the greedy powerful Governors of Nigeria can never allow that to happen, they will always prefer appointing their stooges as TC Chairmen/Sole Administrators to loot the LGA monthly allocation.”
He then wondered how “these same set of cartel criminals” are those that Tinubu is giving ₦5 billion each to share as palliative.
“Arrant nonsense!” he fumed.
