:By Idris Muhammed Abdullahi
The Pain We Feel, the Truth We Avoid
If you are reading this from Kano, Maiduguri, Zamfara, or even Kaduna, chances are you already know what suffering feels like. You don’t need a research paper to tell you that food is expensive, jobs are scarce, hospitals are under-equipped, and schools are crumbling. You live it every day.
Yet, what if I told you that billions of naira flow into your state every single month? That your governor receives so much money that, if used wisely, your children would not be studying under leaking roofs, nor would mothers be dying in childbirth for lack of basic care?
Then comes this viral quote — attributed to Dangote, though never confirmed: “Hold your governors accountable.” Whether he said it or not doesn’t matter. The power of that statement is that it slaps us awake: maybe the real problem isn’t just in Abuja. Maybe it is right at home — in your state government house.
Poverty Isn’t Just Fate — It’s a Choice Others Made for You
Psychologists call it agency bias — the belief that outcomes are shaped by choices, not destiny. Poverty in the North is not written in the stars. It is engineered by how leaders decide to use — or waste — the money entrusted to them.
In 2024, Nigeria recorded the highest ever FAAC disbursement: ₦15.26 trillion. Of that, state governments received ₦5.81 trillion — a massive jump from the previous year.
And the North?
North-West got ₦1.20 trillion
North-Central got ₦948 billion
North-East got ₦807 billion
Now pause for a moment. Imagine if just half of that money had been invested in hospitals, schools, irrigation for farmers, industries for youth employment, and solar power for villages. Would you still be living in darkness, hunger, and despair?
Kaduna as an Example: Billions in, Pennies Out
Take Kaduna. Every month, it collects around ₦42 billion — that’s more than ₦500 billion in a year.
Let’s humanize this: with that kind of money, the state could build:
- Free healthcare for mothers and children.
- Thousands of kilometers of good roads.
- Modern schools with digital learning.
- Job centers for young people tired of idleness.
But drive through many parts of Kaduna today, or visit rural clinics, and you’ll see the same story repeated: neglect, waste, and dashed hopes.
So I ask — where did the billions go? And I dare any governor in the North to prove otherwise. Show us the plans, the projects, the long-term vision. Until then, the evidence stands: “They choose to waste money. They choose not to plan. They choose to ignore the poor.”
Why We Must Stop Looking Only to Abuja
It has become a habit: whenever hardship bites, we curse the President. But tell me, is it the President who decides if your village school has teachers? Is it the President who decides whether your local road gets fixed? Is it the President who chooses whether your health center has medicine?
No. Those decisions are made by the person who lives in your state government house.
If life is unbearable in your state, do not only shout at Abuja. Ask your governor: “What are you doing with the billions we send you every month?”
The Power of Accountability: Why Dangote’s Words Sting
Research in psychology shows that when people are watched, they behave better. When governors know their people are paying attention, they spend more carefully, plan more strategically, and steal less boldly.
That is why “Hold your Governor accountable” cuts so deep. It is not just advice — it is a strategy for survival.
What We Can Do as Citizens
We cannot keep folding our arms and waiting. We must:
Use platforms like BudgIT, NEITI, and NBS to track how much money our states receive.
Share this data in community meetings, on social media, in mosques and churches.
Ask real questions at town halls: “Governor, show us the roads, the hospitals, the jobs this money created.”
Accountability is not about insulting leaders. It is about demanding results.
The Crossroad Before the North
Northern Nigeria stands at a painful fork in the road.
One path leads to more misery — children hawking on the streets instead of learning in schools, farmers abandoning fields because insecurity makes farming impossible, women giving birth on bare floors because hospitals are empty.
The other path leads to hope — but only if we demand it. Only if we stop excusing failure and start demanding performance. Only if we stop blaming only Abuja and start looking our governors in the eye.
Final Word
So, the next time hardship squeezes you, remember:
Don’t just point at Aso Rock.
Don’t just curse the President.
Turn around. Look at your governor. Ask him the hard questions.
And never forget that potent reminder — whether Dangote truly said it or not:
Hold your Governor Accountable.
Quick Facts (2024):
Total FAAC disbursed: ₦15.26 trillion (+43% YoY)
States’ share: ₦5.81 trillion (+62% YoY)
North-West: ₦1.20T | North-Central: ₦948B | North-East: ₦807B
Poverty: Majority of Nigeria’s multidimensionally poor live in the North
Enough is enough.
Idris Muhammed Abdullahi writes from Abuja. He is a pro-Arewa development activist.
