Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has told his northern colleagues to take responsibility for insecurity in their states instead of shifting the blame to President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking at the Northern Nigeria Investment and Industrialization Summit in Abuja on Monday, Sule said the sharp rise in federal allocations has removed any excuse for failure.
“For the first time in our history, all tiers of government are sharing more revenue than they ever imagined. Over N2.2 trillion was shared this month alone. When I became governor in 2019, we were sharing between N590 billion and N620 billion. Today, it is four times that amount,” Sule said.
The governor urged leaders in the region to channel their windfall into security and economic growth rather than complaining about the centre. “Every state now has the resources to secure its people. We should stop blaming anybody for our security. If we are blaming anybody, blame ourselves,” he declared.
Sule also highlighted steps taken in Nasarawa to attract investment, including policies compelling investors in the solid minerals sector to set up processing plants within the state. He revealed that a 3,000-metric-tonne per day plant has been commissioned, while a larger 6,000-tonne facility is awaiting inauguration.
In addition, the governor said Nasarawa has confirmed oil reserves estimated at between five and seven million barrels and is expanding rice cultivation from 3,300 hectares to 8,000 hectares to strengthen food security.
The summit, themed “Unlocking Strategic Opportunities in Mining, Agriculture and Power,” brought together stakeholders to chart pathways for industrialization in the North.
Sule’s charge comes shortly after the Federation Account Allocation Committee announced the disbursement of N2.22 trillion August revenue among the three tiers of government.
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