By
Zainab Owolabi
CLAIM:
Former governor of Lagos State, and newest president, Bola Tinubu claimed that he received zero allocation from the federal government when he was governor.
FULL TEXT
Bola Tinubu, who governed Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 is aspiring to be Nigeria’s president in 2023, under the All Progressive Congress (APC). His major contenders for the party’s presidential ticket include the current Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo; the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi; Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello; and Senator Ibikunle Amosun; among others.
Late last year, Speakers of the 15 state assemblies controlled by the APC, assembled at a forum hosted by the Lagos State House of Assembly. Tinubu who was present at the forum as a special guest of honour, sought the support of the legislators, while he reeled out his qualifications to govern Nigeria. The former Lagos governor boasted that he governed Nigeria’s commercial capital with zero allocation from the federal government, and he succeeded in turning the state around.
“I was raised to be courageous and this has been working for me. With zero allocation from FAAC, I turned Lagos State around and today, the state has become the largest economy in Africa. I reserve the right to brag. I want to bring same to bear as President of Nigeria. Accelerated development of Nigeria is about thinking and doing and I am ready to do that again because I am a thinker and a doer,” Tinubu said.
VERIFICATION
Old media reports perused by Ripples Nigeria show that the federal government under Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, only withheld the Local government fund of Lagos when Tinubu was governor.
Tinubu had created Local Council Development Areas, against the approval of the Obasanjo-led federal government. As a penalty, the federal government directed the Minister of Finance to withhold the Local government fund of Lagos, and other states who created LCDAs.
VERDICT: False
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