The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has denied claims that his administration received a share of the N570 billion hardship grant reportedly disbursed by the Federal Government to all 36 states.
In a nationwide broadcast on Sunday, August 8, President Bola Tinubu announced the disbursement of N570 billion to the states, alongside grants to nano-businesses, as part of efforts to alleviate the economic hardship in the country.
The announcement came during the #EndBadGovernance protests, which highlighted widespread dissatisfaction with the rising cost of living and hunger.
However, in a newsletter (No. 95 | August 2024) signed by Governor Makinde and shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Thursday, the governor categorically denied any knowledge of such a grant.
He clarified that the funds referenced by the President were part of the World Bank-assisted Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) project, which was aimed at aiding states in their recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Makinde explained that under the NG-CARES project, states were required to spend their own funds on recovery initiatives, which were later reimbursed by the World Bank after verification. The Federal Government, according to Makinde, acted only as a conduit for these reimbursements and did not directly disburse any funds to the states.
“Let me state categorically that this is yet another case of misrepresentation of facts,” Makinde wrote. “The Federal Government did not give any State money. They were simply the conduit through which the reimbursements were made to States for money already spent.”
The governor’s statement comes in response to concerns raised by citizens regarding the utilization of the alleged N570 billion hardship fund, with many questioning how the funds were used at the state level.
Makinde’s clarification seeks to dispel these concerns, emphasizing transparency and accountability in his administration’s financial dealings.
