BREAKING NEWS: Govs, LGs should account for increased federal allocations – Ikuforiji

 

 Former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji

A former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, has urged Nigerians to hold state governors and local government chairmen accountable for the management of the increased federal allocations following the removal of fuel subsidy.

Ikuforiji made the call on Tuesday while addressing journalists at a press briefing in Ikeja, Lagos, amid recent concerns about the deepening poverty in the country.

Last week, the World Bank expressed concern that despite Nigeria’s recent economic stabilisation efforts, about 139 million citizens were still living in poverty. The institution warned that the country risked losing the gains of ongoing reforms if they failed to translate into tangible improvements in people’s welfare.

While reacting to the report, Ikuforiji said it was unrealistic to expect President Bola Tinubu to singlehandedly solve the problem of poverty and underdevelopment in a nation of over 200 million people. He emphasised that Nigerians must begin to demand more responsibility from their state and local government leaders, who are closer to the grassroots and now receive far higher allocations from the Federation Account.

He said, “On the issue of Nigerians still complaining about poverty, it takes time for this thing (reforms) to go around. But on a serious note, and I want all of us to leave here and, in our solemn moment, think about this again: I think one of the problems we have in this country is that we are used to just apportioning blame.

“It’s like everybody believes that one man should take care of the problems of over 200 million people from his bedroom or office. Look, the necessary poverty alleviation, should it always be from the Federal Government? Don’t we have government at the lower levels that are closer to the people?”

The former Speaker noted that with the removal of fuel subsidy, federal allocations to states and local governments had significantly increased. However, he said the lives of citizens had not improved in corresponding measure, adding that leaders at those levels must be held accountable.

“After the removal of fuel subsidy, some of the state governments now collect as much as three times what they used to collect,” he said. “How many states can we point to today that have really done better since their allocations from the Federal Government got doubled or tripled? How many of them have really done better for the people?”

He continued, “Some local governments were collecting as little as ₦30m to ₦40m per month, and the same local governments are now collecting hundreds of millions. How many of them have really intervened in the well-being of the people? These are the ones that are closest to the people.

“Yet, the same people will not be bothered about what the council chairman has done to make life easier. They are bothered about the President. Don’t we say charity begins at home?”

Ikuforiji, who served as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly from 2005 to 2015, also recalled that during his tenure, the legislature held then-Governor Bola Tinubu accountable in the discharge of his duties.

“The legislature then was not afraid to ask questions,” he said. “Governor Tinubu understood that the Assembly had a duty to represent the people and ensure that the executive was doing the right thing. That is how a democracy should work.”

He further stressed that poverty alleviation should not be viewed solely as a federal responsibility, insisting that meaningful progress must begin at the community and state levels.

“Poverty alleviation should start from the home now,” the former Speaker said. “I think we all need to look at this issue critically and reorient our people to take the right direction.”

Ikuforiji charged citizens to demand transparency from local government chairmen and governors regarding how public funds are spent.

He said, “Every local should now make out time to demand accountability from their local governments. Everyone at the state level should now create time to demand accountability from the state governors. It is high time state governors stopped unveiling boreholes and classrooms as major projects.

“We can’t continue to celebrate mediocrity. We can’t be unveiling boreholes and classrooms in 2025 when allocations have doubled and technology has advanced. The people must wake up and begin to ask the right questions.”

He added that Nigeria’s democratic system would only deliver meaningful development when citizens at all levels engage their elected representatives and insist on accountability.

“Our people need reorientation,” he said. “If every citizen begins to hold their local leaders responsible, then governance will begin to work from the ground up. That is how the system was designed to function — not for everyone to depend on the President alone.”