‘Hold governors accountable’ – The Nation Newspaper

Amid worsening infrastructure and growing insecurity across the country, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has accused state governors of misappropriating funds despite increased revenue from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).

Speaking during an interaction with Journalists ,  NECA’s Director-general, Adewale-Smart Oyerinde, challenged Nigerians to demand accountability from their state governors over the utilisation of monthly allocations, particularly in light of deteriorating infrastructure and rising insecurity in many states.

Oyerinde insisted that governors owe citizens a clear justification of how FAAC allocations received so far have been spent.

According to him, poor governance has made it difficult for farmers to access their farmlands, while in some areas, they are forced to pay heavy levies before being allowed to farm.

“State governors are not justifying the monthly allocations they collect from the Federation Account. If issues of food, transportation, accommodation and education were properly addressed, governance would be more inclusive and beneficial to everyone in the state,” he said.

Oyerinde identified joblessness as a major driver of insecurity, stressing that state governments have a critical role to play in creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.

“The main root of insecurity is unemployment. If state governors create an environment where businesses can grow and jobs are created, idle hands, which are the workshop of the devil, would be meaningfully engaged,” he added.

The NECA boss also lamented the absence of credible data on the number of companies affected by the harsh economic environment, noting that this gap has hindered effective planning and development.

“Due to security and infrastructure challenges, many jobs have been lost in recent years, yet there is no reliable data to provide accurate statistics. We want the government to act on the provision of data because data-driven economies will fast-track development,” Oyerinde said.

He further advised governments at all levels to ensure that policies are deliberately aligned with the objective of economic growth, stressing that the private sector remains the engine room for job creation, productivity and sustainable national development.