Governors Fail To Inform Tinubu About Hunger In Nigeria, Says Yusuf – Independent Newspaper Nigeria

Anthony Ufoh

Usman Yusuf, a former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), has said that state governors have not been informing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu about the high level of hunger being experienced by Nigerians.

Yusuf, a controversial figure, stated that about 80 per cent of the nation’s problems are the handiwork of the state governors.

He made this statement while on a Television interview, as he said that it is the state governors who are meant to provide welfare services for the citizens instead of waiting for the Federal Government.

He said, “Mr. President, if they are not telling you the truth, listen to me, I’m telling you the truth that there is hunger in the land.

“Whatever they are telling you is not true, and your government is not doing anything at all to address this tragedy that is befalling our people in a country of plenty.

“I heard one of the ministers said that they have given N419 billion in conditional cash transfer. Hello, shouldn’t that number make you chuckle? Who did they give it to?

“The President, everybody will commend you after the removal of the subsidy, you have enough excess that you keep some in your pocket, and you throw some at the governors. The governors have seen a lot more money, but there is nothing to show on the ground.

“All they are doing is running around the world, building bridges and building houses all over the world, when our people are dying of hunger.

“This is the reality, Mr President, and if nobody is telling you the reality, we will continue to raise our voice to awaken the conscience of our people and the world.

“Even during Buhari, I said over 80 per cent of our problems in Nigeria, all across the geopolitical zones, are the governors.

“It’s not the central government that will provide employment locally to people; it’s the governors who have stifled the local governments all this time. It’s not the Presidency that would build schools or hospitals.

“Where are they taking all this money to? We don’t see any meaningful development. The President has tried to see that local governments are liberated from the shackles of the governors, but how much liberation did we get?

“The governors are still holding onto their funds, and we don’t see anything.”

Professor Usman Yusuf is a professor of haematology and a specialist in bone marrow transplantation.