IMO State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, says the removal of petrol subsidy is a blessing to state governments.
The governor, who spoke on Monday in Imo State during the inspection of some projects to celebrate the first year of his second term, said more money now accrues to the coffers of state governments for the development of their states.
He said, “In reconciling the negative effects of the fuel subsidy removal and the benefits in terms of socio-infrastructure, social benefits, and then the ease of doing business occasioned by the provision of the enabling infrastructure, I think it is a blessing.
“It is a direct blessing, it is not a disguise to the sub-nationals because more monies are now coming to states and state governments must do things to show citizens that they are able to do these things because they now get more monies as a result of the fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government.”
Uzodimma is not the first governor to make such claim.
Last year, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State asked Nigerians to hold governors to account over the improved allocation from the federation account.
Sule stated this while answering questions during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today.
He said that people were suffering, urging them to ask their state governors what they were doing with the improved revenues from the federal government.
Sule had said, “Most of the time people are looking at some of the hard economic decisions the president has taken. That is his own style. Two decisions taken are bringing these economic reforms.
“One, is the subsidy removal and the second is the floating of the forex. These are the two major policies people keep on complaining about. And people are asking where the money is. The money is there. It is being given to various people and places and coming to the people in different ways.
“That is why I give you an example of what we are doing in Nasarawa. Yes, there is going to be difficulties; but instead of just looking at the federal government let the people hold every state governor responsible. What are you doing with the improved revenue you are getting? Until every state governor comes back and says we are doing this and that.
“President Tinubu doesn’t have land anywhere. The lands belong to the state. He can’t go and do agriculture anywhere, for example. They have already started construction of highways from Badagry to Calabar. The one from Calabar is coming to Abuja and the one from Badagry going to Sokoto State. There are many of them”.
