Presidential spokesman Daniel Bwala has said Nigerians should hold governors and local government chairmen accountable for kidnappings in their states, arguing that security failures at the grassroots cannot be blamed solely on the Federal Government.
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication made the remarks during an appearance on The Morayo Afolabi-Brown Show, where he was asked about the Federal Government’s response to the prolonged abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State.
According to Bwala, most kidnapping incidents occur at the local government level, making state and local authorities directly responsible for improving security.
“Every kidnapping and abduction that takes place in any state of Nigeria, hold that governor responsible. All the kidnappings have taken place in local government,” he said.
Bwala also pointed to the Federal Government’s Save the School Initiative, saying funds had previously been released to states to improve school security through perimeter fencing and early warning systems.
He challenged Nigerians to demand explanations from their governors over how those funds were spent.
“There was this thing called the Save the School Initiative, in which monies were given to states to create perimeter fencing, early warning signs and all of those checks in schools. Ask your governor where that money went to,” he said.
The presidential aide further alleged that many local governments are not receiving funds meant for them, despite allocations being made every month.
Using Oyo State as an example, he claimed some local governments receive hundreds of millions of naira monthly, arguing that such funds could significantly improve local security, healthcare and education if properly utilised.
“I was in Oyo and I engaged with the Oyo State Government. In three local governments in Oyo, I said this local government has N600 million coming here every month, and that’s how it is across Nigeria,” he said.
Bwala urged Nigerians to become more active in demanding accountability from local government officials instead of waiting for intervention from the Federal Government.
“It’s only in Nigeria that citizens wait for manna to come from heaven. In all other countries of the world, citizens take their destinies in their hands,” he said.
He added that Nigeria’s constitutional structure does not give the President direct authority over governors, limiting the Federal Government’s ability to compel state governments to act.
“The President is not a head boy or prefect of the governors,” Bwala said, noting that President Tinubu could only encourage state governments to fulfil their responsibilities.
Responding to concerns over the more than 50-day captivity of the abducted Oyo schoolchildren and teachers, Bwala said the government’s priority remained securing their release alive rather than carrying out operations that could endanger the victims.
“The number one responsibility of government in a hostage-taking situation is to rescue them and rescue them alive. If you use force carelessly, you may end up jeopardising the lives of the people that are kidnapped,” he said.
