Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, has called on Nigerians to stop holding state governors solely responsible for the country’s worsening economic hardship.
He noted that the Federal Government controls more than half of the nation’s monthly federation revenue.
Governor Radda made the comments in an interview with Radio France Internationale (RFI) Hausa.
He explained that while public frustration over rising living costs is often directed at governors and local government chairmen, the Federal Government receives the largest share of funds from the Federation Account.
“Whenever there is hardship, people blame governors and local governments,” Radda said.
“But when revenue is shared, 52 per cent goes to the Federal Government. It is the remaining 48 per cent that is shared among the 36 states and 774 local governments.”
He added that this revenue-sharing formula leaves subnational governments struggling to meet growing demands, despite widespread assumptions that governors control the bulk of national resources.
Questioning the long-term impact of federal control over national revenue, the Katsina governor urged Nigerians to examine how funds retained at the centre have been utilised over the years.
“For decades, the Federal Government has been receiving the larger share of federation revenue.”
“So the question Nigerians should be asking is: where has the bulk of that money gone?” he said.
His remarks come amid increasing pressure on state governments to account for higher allocations following the removal of the fuel subsidy.
