The Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, has submitted that the anger of Nigerians against worsening economic hardship is misdirected.
According to him, the federal government receives the largest share of monthly revenue allocation, but Governors and Local Government Chairmen receive the blame for challenges faced by the citizens.
Naijaonpoint reports that Radda, who spoke during an interview with Radio France Internationale (RFI) Hausa, said the current revenue-sharing formula leaves subnational governments struggling to meet growing demands, despite widespread assumptions that governors control the bulk of national resources.
“Whenever there is hardship, people blame governors and local governments.
“But when revenue is shared, 52 per cent goes to the Federal Government. It is the remaining 48 per cent that is shared among the 36 states and 774 local governments,” the Governor said.
He submitted that Nigerians need to ask more questions about how funds accruing to the federal government get utilized.
“For decades, the Federal Government has been receiving the larger share of federation revenue.
“So the question Nigerians should be asking is: where has the bulk of that money gone?” he queried.
Governor Radda also added that it is wrong to make sweeping allegations of corruption against Governors, saying not all officials are corrupt and judgment should be made on an individual basis.
He supported the idea that public office holders should be held accountable for their actions.
“Leadership is about individual integrity. It is wrong to generalise and label everyone the same way,” he said.
The Governor further defended his administration’s continued investment in capital projects despite the prevailing economic hardship, arguing that infrastructure development remains one of the fastest ways to inject money into the grassroots economy through job creation.
“When you execute capital projects, you create jobs and bring money down to the people,” Radda said. “Labourers earn wages, food vendors make sales and suppliers benefit.
“If you go to the local governments today, you will see a lot of economic activity because funds have reached the communities,” he said.