The Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume has said that state governors should be held accountable for how they apply their FAAC allocations.
He said this on Wednesday at the Ministerial Sectoral Update held in Abuja.
The comment comes after monthly subvention shared to the three tiers of government by the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) rose to N10tn in 2023 after the administration removed subsidy in May 2023.
Akume said, “Let me agree with you that more funds are going to the states. That is the typical Asiwaju (Bola Ahmed Tinubu) attitude to governance and, commitment to the rule of law and constitutionalism. He is someone who believes so much in fiscal federalism.
“He believes in a typical federal setup that has tiers of government, and these tiers of government are also independent.”
Since the removal of the subsidy, the country has seen a surge in monthly state allocation. In April, FAAC released N1.2tn to the three tiers.
However, there are arguments that the benefits of the surge in allocation to states are not reflected in the standard of living and infrastructural development in states.
The SGF said, “We have the federal, state and local governments. All of them have access to the Federation Account. So, what goes to each state is under the control of the governor of the state and the legislature of that state. This money is supposed to be applied prudently, and efficiently, for the benefit of all of us.
“I want to state that many states are doing their best for the people. As governor of the state before, I can also talk about competing interests at all levels of governance.
“The legislators are also there to make an input. The whole purpose is to ensure that the welfare of the people is promoted and enhanced.”