Oyo State governor and Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Mr. Seyi Makinde, has declared that there is no truth in the claim by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, that states of the federation got an additional N30 billion each outside of their statutory revenue allocations, to address food insecurity in their states.
The governor stated this on Thursday, noting that Oyo State has not received any N30 billion from the FIRS or the Federal Government, adding that his government has been and will always be open and transparent to the people of the state.
Makinde, who added that he has been doing everything to cushion the effect of the economic hardship on the people, warned that leaders should instill confidence and hope in the citizenry in this trying time rather than playing the blame game.
Makinde stated this in Iseyin, where he commissioned the newly-renovated multi-billion Naira Iseyin Central Mosque facilitated by legal icon, Ahmed Raji, SAN, hailing the religious harmony in Oyo State as being exemplary.
He stressed that apart from Oyo State not getting N30 billion from any agency or department of the Federal Government, he could say the same for his colleague-governors as vice chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF).
Governor Makinde decried Akpabio’s reliance on unverified reports, clarifying that states couldn’t get funds from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), since all revenues go into the Federation Account and belong to the Federal Government, states, and local governments.
According to Makinde, the only fund that Oyo State got from the Federal Government outside of statutory allocation was N2 billion out of the N5 billion promised to all states in the wake of the removal of fuel subsidy, adding that the Federal Government had even been asking for the refund of the N2 billion
