Oyo Governor disputes Tinubu’s claim of N570bn State support funds
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, also the Deputy Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, has refuted President Bola Tinubu’s claim that the federal government released N570 billion to the 36 states of Nigeria. This claim was made during Tinubu’s nationwide broadcast on Sunday.
In a statement issued on Thursday via the state’s official website, Governor Makinde clarified that the funds in question were not a direct allocation from the federal government but were instead COVID-19 recovery funds from the World Bank. The federal government merely acted as an intermediary between the international lender and the states.
This clarification comes in response to a letter from a concerned citizen, A.M. Ashagidigbi, who questioned how the Oyo State government utilized the purported N570 billion. Ashagidigbi sought details on the timing and amount of the funds received by Oyo State, as well as their distribution among local governments and beneficiaries.
Governor Makinde responded, stating: “Let me state categorically that this is yet another case of misrepresentation of facts. The said funds were part of the World Bank-assisted NG-CARES project—a Programme for Results intervention.”
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He explained that the NG-CARES project, which stands for COVID-19 Action Recovery Economic Stimulus, required states to spend their own funds first. The World Bank then reimbursed the states through the federal government, which acted as a conduit for the funds.
Makinde further noted that the funding was contingent on the states’ prior expenditures on COVID-19 measures, and it was not a grant but a loan to be repaid. Oyo State received N5.98 billion in the first instance and N822 million in the second instance as reimbursement for its investments under the NG-CARES programme.
He emphasized: “The Federal Government did not give Oyo State any money. We have been reimbursed for funds we invested in the NG-CARES programme. The World Bank fund is a loan, not a grant, and it predates the present federal administration.”
President Tinubu’s broadcast had announced the release of N570 billion to the states as a palliative measure to support citizens, claiming it was a federal government grant. This announcement has sparked controversy, with Makinde’s statement providing a detailed rebuttal of the claim.
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