As Nigerians battle economic challenges that have dragged over 133 million into poverty in the country, Federal government and the states are at each other throats, over whose actions and inactions may have pushed the country into these economic crises.
Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Clement Agba, had while responding to the question about what the FG is doing to address the suffering of Nigerians, after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, blamed states for abandoning the rural communities where over 70% of Nigerians dwell.
He also blamed states for abandoning rural roads and other basic infrastructures, while competing to build overhead bridges and skyscrapers in their states capitals for political gains.
“They are building skyscrapers in their state capitals where people will see and clap but the skyscrapers does not put food on the table,” Agba said.
“In the past, we’ve always looked at monetary poverty. But poverty like we know has different pieces, different intensity and different causes. And it is for this reason, I went around the 109 senatorial districts in Nigeria, to carry out those survey and to be able to say specifically, where this hardship is.”
Agba said the result of his survey showed clearly show that 72% of poverty is in the rural areas. It also showed clearly, that Sokoto state is leading in poverty with 91%. But the surprising thing is Bayelsa being the second in terms of poverty rating in the country.
“So you see the issue is not about availability of money. But it has to do with the application of money,” he said.
“In the course of working on the national development plan, we looked at previous plans and say why they didn’t do as much as was expected. We also looked at the issues of the National Social Investment Programme.”
The Minister said “the federal government is putting out so much money but not seeing so much reflection, in terms of money that has been put in alleviating poverty, which is one of the reasons the government also put in place the national poverty reduction with growth strategy.
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“ If the federal government puts the entire income that it earns into all of this without some form of complementarity from the State governments in playing their part. It will seem as if we are throwing money in the pond.
The Minister while accusing the governors of “basically, only functioning in their state capitals”, added that “from our demographics , it shows that the greatest number of our people live in rural areas, but the governors are not working in the rural areas.
“Right now 70% of our people live in rural areas they produce 90% of what we eat. And unfortunately, 60% of what they produce is lost due to post-harvest loss and it does not get to the market.
“When we’re talking about food prices like I mentioned right now as driving inflation, prices of food at the farm gates are low. But when you now take it to the urban areas, you find out that the prices are high due to supply chain disruptions, lack of infrastructure to take them there.
He claimed that the “federal government has done its best”
“But we need to push that rather than governors continuing to compete to take loans to build airports that are not necessarily where they have other airports so close to them. Or governors now competing to build flyovers all over the place and we applaud they should concentrate on building rural roads so that the farmer can at least get their products to the market.
“And you find that if they do that and with the new policy in the national development plan that talks about taking power to the rural areas, especially of out-grid power that can easily be put, you begin to attract industries to those areas for value addition.
“UNIDO report shows us in terms of employment, the MSMEs employ 70% of our people. So you can imagine how much progress we will make when you find that there are roads, there is power in these rural areas.
The Minister who also spoke about agricultural development noted that “ federal government doesn’t have a land that they would plant, but the government has pushed for the Anchor Borrowers programme and that is going on very well but the state control lands states.
“They are the ones to provide land for agriculture. They are not investing in that. They would rather build skyscrapers in a city where people will see and clap but the skyscrapers does not put food on the table.
Quoting copiously from Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Agba noted that “you have to take care of the basic needs of individuals first before you begin to talk about self-actualization. So we need to take care of the issues of food, nutrition, housing and clothing for our people. Before we begin to think of how to go to the moon and begin to build flyovers and airports in the state capital, that is the missing link which we need to push so that we’ll be able to catalyze growth.
“But continuing to say federal government or my sister, Zainab and I what are we doing? We are doing our parts. And I’m sure Wike told you guys about monies that have been released over N500 billion to the oil producing states and I’ve seen some disclaimers from the states saying, it is small small money they are getting on a monthly basis. And some are giving some half truths of what they have received. We need to hold them accountable. So that together we all can grow our economy.
Reacting to the Minister’s claims in a telephone interview, the Taraba Chief Press Secretary, Bala Dan- Abu, however, lampooned the federal government for “ its inability to address the challenges of insecurity”, which he said is chiefly responsible for rural urban drifts in Nigeria, in the past eight years.
“I think the Minister has not properly addressed the issue and buckpassing will not help us.
People have abandoned the rural communities because of insecurity, many are being killed daily and the state government don’t have control over those in charge security in their states.
He also accused the government of “ spending hard earned revenue on subsidies for the rich through the fuel subsidy program”
“People are being forced to pay tax to bandits in several communities, cattle grazers ravage peoples farms, rap women, kidnap men and where they resist, they are murdered in the presence of their loved ones.
“ Has he also tried to address the reasons for the high exchange rates. We are not producing anything, but importing everything, I mean everything that we consume. So, it is not proper to lay the blame on the states.
Also reacting to the allegations against the states, Solomon Kumagar, the Director General (DG) Media and Publicity to the Adamawa state government, dismissed Agba’s claims that states concentrate developments in their state capitals.
“ They should come to Adamawa and see what we are doing to lift our people from poverty.
“ Since the government of Ahmadu Fintri assumed office, peace has returned to Adamawa because we spread development projects evenly. When last did you hear of Boko Haram attacks in Adamawa? “
He noted that the funds distributed for poverty, end up in the wrong hands.
“ The so called funds for poverty alleviation end up in the hands of the rich people in Abuja. Only very small portion, if any get to the rural areas.
“They use the funds to settle politicians and industrialists who are in their good books, in Lagos and Abuja.
