In a recent newsletter, Governor Seyi Makinde has disputed claims by President Bola Tinubu that the federal government has granted N570 billion to the 36 states of the federation.
Makinde stated that the funds received by the states were not a direct allocation from the federal government, but rather a World Bank-assisted loan to help states recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the governor, the funding was part of the World Bank’s NG-CARES project, which aimed to support states in Nigeria with COVID-19 recovery. The project, which was initiated before Tinubu’s administration, involved states using their own funds to implement COVID-19 programs, and then being reimbursed by the World Bank for those expenses.
Makinde emphasized that the funds were not a grant, but a loan that is expected to be repaid by each state. He stated that Oyo State received N5.98 billion in the first instance and N822 million in the second instance as reimbursement for funds invested in the program.
The governor’s statement was a response to a message from a concerned citizen querying what he had done with the N570 billion fund allegedly given to the states by the federal government. Makinde clarified that the funds were not a grant from the federal government, but rather a loan from World Bank facilitated through the federal government.
The governor’s clarification contradicts President Tinubu’s statement last Sunday, where he announced that his administration had given the total sum of N570 billion to the 36 states as a palliative measure to alleviate economic conditions. Tinubu had stated that the funds were a grant from the federal government.
The Oyo State government’s clarification has raised questions about the accuracy of Tinubu’s statement and whether other states have received similar funds from World Bank. The governor’s statement has also sparked debate about the transparency of government funding and accountability in how funds are allocated and used.
In related news, a WhatsApp group has been created to support the Oyo state Governor, Seyi Makinde in his 2027 presidential election campaign.
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