Hardship: Akpabio, Yilwatda Challenge Nigerians to Monitor Governors
Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Plateau State governorship candidate, Nentawe Yilwatda, have urged Nigerians to hold state governors accountable for the implementation of federal interventions and policies meant to cushion the effects of the current economic hardship across the country.
Speaking at a public dialogue on governance and accountability in Abuja on Friday, Akpabio stressed that the Federal Government had released several relief packages, palliative funds, and agricultural grants to states, insisting that citizens have a right to demand transparency in how those funds are utilized.
“President Bola Tinubu’s administration is doing its best to stabilise the economy, but governance is not just about Abuja,” Akpabio said. “Nigerians must ask questions about how their state governments are deploying the resources sent to them.”
Echoing the same view, Yilwatda noted that while federal policies such as the Renewed Hope Agenda are designed to empower citizens, their impact will remain limited unless governors ensure that the funds and programmes reach grassroots communities.
“Accountability starts from the states. If citizens don’t track spending and demand explanations, relief measures will never reach the ordinary people,” Yilwatda said.
Both leaders also called for greater citizen participation in governance, emphasizing that good leadership thrives when people engage constructively rather than wait for federal intervention on local matters.
Analysts say their comments come amid growing public frustration over the rising cost of living, unemployment, and perceived mismanagement of state-level palliative programs.
The Senate President further assured that the National Assembly would intensify its oversight functions to ensure that funds disbursed to states are used transparently and effectively.
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