By Akinwunmi Adeboye
Ahead of the coming state and federal elections,
The Federal Government of Nigeria may have
embarked on policies similar to the imposition of
economic sanctions on states perceived to be in
the opposition to the central authority.
Sources told our correspondent in Abuja that the
monthly allocations to opposition states have been
reduced while the FG make offers behind the curtain
finances of states controlled by the Peoples
Democratic Party, (PDP). The target states are
, Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Kwara, Edo, Rivers and
some of the North Eastern states.
Our correspondent heard that the policy was aimed
at creating economic hardships in the affected
states so as to stir public disenchantement against
the ruling party in the states.
The Chairman of Campaign Against Corrupt
Leaders, (CACOL), Mr Debo Adeniran corroborated
this claim when he told our correspondent that he
is aware that the FG has ‘launched a parochial
campaign aimed at muzzling the strength of
opposition states’ adding that the action of the FG
undermines the principles of federalism.
OoduaIrohin was informed how the Federal
Government disallowed the government of the State
of Osun from using the railways after the later had
imported train coaches in large numbers from
France. The coaches were meant for the
transportation of agricultural goods from Osun to
Lagos. But sources at the Nigerian Railway
Corporation, (NRC) hinted that the Federal
Government has ordered that the railway authorities
should not allow the State of Osun to use the
coaches, even though the same authority had
indicated its willingness to allow the State of Osun
the usage at the planning stage of the importation
of the coaches.
Apart from the coaches, the Federal Government
has also refused to issue “Emergency Code” to
enhance the “Emergency Call Centre” to assist
people under security threats. “We got express
order from above not to issue the security code”, a
top official of the State Security Service, (SSS) told
IrohinOodua on Monday.
Apart from the dwindling allocation to opposition
states, in some of them the FG has refused to
discharged obligations necessary for the economic
upliftment of some of the states perceived to be in
the opposition camp. Adeniran said the purpose of
the FG campaign is to strengthen its ability to win
the forthcoming elections in the states.
