JUST IN: Drama As Governor Makinde Counters Tinubu

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has refuted claims that states received ₦570 billion from the federal government, as stated by President Bola Tinubu during a recent address amid the #EndBadGovernance protests.

In a newsletter shared on his X handle, Governor Makinde clarified that the funds mentioned by President Tinubu were not a federal grant but rather part of the World Bank-assisted NG-CARES project, aimed at COVID-19 recovery efforts. He emphasized that the funds were a loan to states, not a grant, and that states had to spend their own money upfront before being reimbursed by the World Bank through a federal platform.

Makinde explained that Oyo State received ₦5.98 billion in the first tranche and ₦822 million in the second tranche as part of this initiative. He underscored that these were reimbursements for funds the state had already invested, particularly in agricultural inputs distribution, which the World Bank later adopted as a model.

This clarification follows similar criticism from Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, who described President Tinubu’s speech as lacking substance.