Tinubu Hits Back: Media Shouldn’t Bombard Only My Government

According to Ireporter Online, President Bola Tinubu has emphasized that the responsibility of developing Nigeria rests on all citizens, not solely on the federal government. Speaking on Friday while hosting media executives and proprietors at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja, Tinubu urged the press to hold state and local governments accountable alongside the federal administration.

The President highlighted the increased financial autonomy of lower tiers of government, noting that local governments now receive their funds directly. He called on the media to apply the same scrutiny to state and local administrations as they do to the federal government.

“We’ve opened up the principle of federalism to the extent that local governments are now getting their money. But how they use it is in your hands,” Tinubu stated. He added, “So don’t bombard me alone; look at the local government too. Yes, we can complain it’s not enough; we can complain we are not where we should be. But we have to manage what we have to sustain today, survive tomorrow, and make progress.”

Tinubu further noted that no state currently borrows to pay workers’ salaries, emphasizing fiscal responsibility at all levels. Reiterating his commitment to national progress, he said, “The job that I continue to do is dedication, patriotic dedication to improve Nigeria. It’s all in our hands; it’s a collective responsibility.”