Tinubu to Governors: Justify Huge Allocations by Improving Citizens’ Lives
By Daily Hibiscus News
President Bola Tinubu on Sunday charged state governors to justify the substantial allocations flowing to the states by implementing programmes that genuinely improve the living conditions of Nigerians.
The directive was disclosed by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, who also serves as Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, while briefing State House journalists after a meeting with the President in Lagos.
Uzodimma said the governors used the opportunity to update Tinubu, who had just returned from a working vacation, on developments across the country and the efforts of progressive governors to communicate the achievements of the administration’s reform policies.
He described the discussion as a quality conversation that brought the President up to speed on issues on the ground.
The governor expressed gratitude for the President’s economic reforms, noting that before their introduction many states struggled even to pay salaries.
“We were charged again to ensure that the real benefits, that the real beneficiaries of the reform policy are the people. That the masses must feel the impact. That these policies, the dividends, should be impactful,” Uzodimma stated.
He emphasised that the focus has now shifted beyond mere implementation and public advocacy of the reforms to ensuring their tangible dividends reach ordinary citizens.
“We are not going to only sit here and sing the songs of reform. We are going to make sure that the benefits get to the people,” he added, underscoring the collective responsibility of the governors.
Drawing from his own experience, Uzodimma recalled the fiscal challenges his administration faced upon taking office.
“In 2021, I became the Governor without President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his reform policies. It was difficult at the end of every month after paying salaries. That is, if we managed to pay salaries, to have money to run the state,” he said.
Today, he noted, states can meet salary obligations and still fund meaningful development projects.
Uzodimma also highlighted the Federal Government’s Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative as an example of reforms that should translate into direct relief for the public.
He urged transporters and commuters to ensure that savings from lower operating costs are reflected in reduced fares, describing such an outcome as a win-win situation for all parties.
