ABUJA — Former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof. Usman Yusuf, has accused state governors of misleading President Bola Tinubu about the true extent of hunger and hardship ravaging the country.
Speaking in an interview on Trust TV, Yusuf claimed that over 80 percent of Nigeria’s challenges are caused by state governors, whom he accused of squandering increased revenues under the current administration without addressing the needs of ordinary citizens.
“Mr. President, if they are not telling you the truth, listen to me, I’m telling you the truth — 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,” he said.
Yusuf questioned the impact of government’s social welfare initiatives, particularly the reported N419 billion conditional cash transfer, asking: “Who did they give it to?”
According to him, while subsidy removal boosted government coffers and gave states more funds, governors have failed to channel the money into meaningful development.
“All they are doing is running around the world, building bridges and houses abroad while our people are dying of hunger,” he lamented.
The former NHIS boss stressed that state governments, not the presidency, are responsible for providing local employment, building schools, and equipping hospitals. He accused governors of stifling local governments and diverting funds meant for grassroots development.
“Even during Buhari, I said over 80 percent of our problems in Nigeria are the governors. Where are they taking all this money to? We don’t see any meaningful development,” Yusuf said, urging President Tinubu to confront the reality rather than rely on sugar-coated reports from state leaders.
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