The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has called on the public to hold their state governors and local government chairmen accountable for any hardship they face.
Yilwatda made his remarks on Monday in Abuja during the public presentation of “Vicious Red Circle,” a book on human trafficking authored by Alex Oriaku.
He stated that Nigerians must begin to demand tangible development and people-oriented projects from their subnational leaders, especially in light of the significant increase in monthly allocations to states and councils.
He said, “No governor in Nigeria receives less than three times, up to four times what they used to obtain before. None. Just two years ago, there was a distribution of about ₦400 billion per month—but today, the last allocation was N2.2 trillion.
“So they can do more for their people. No governor receives less than three times. None. They are now focusing on larger projects. And to me, this is a turnaround we need from our governors. I would encourage you to speak to your governors. Speak to your local government chairmen. Let them do more.”
Yilwatda, who took over the leadership of the APC amid increasing criticism of government economic policies, maintained that President Bola Tinubu’s administration was on the right track.
He expressed optimism that the party would lead the country towards economic recovery.
At the event, discussions moved beyond governance to address a more pressing humanitarian crisis—human trafficking. This scourge has earned Nigeria the reputation of being both a source, transit, and destination country for trafficked individuals in Africa and beyond.
Despite the efforts of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons since its establishment in 2003, Nigeria remains one of the leading countries in West Africa affected by human trafficking.
Hundreds of victims, primarily women and children, are trafficked annually both within the country and abroad—particularly to Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa—for forced labour, sexual exploitation, and domestic servitude.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to combating this issue, the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed, described human trafficking as one of the most dangerous transnational crimes, akin to drug and arms trafficking.
“Human trafficking has eroded our social fabric and robbed many of our people of their dignity and future,” he said, adding that the NIA continues to provide intelligence and operational support to NAPTIP.
He emphasised that the fight against trafficking requires a “whole-of-society approach,” calling for greater involvement from civil society groups, faith-based organisations, and community actors to dismantle trafficking networks.
Reviewing the 198-page book, the President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Dr Ike Neliaku, examined the connection between corruption, manipulation, and exploitation, urging Nigerians to reject the “culture of silence” that allows such evils to persist.
In his address, Oriaku explained that the book aims to expose the self-perpetuating cycle of exploitation and silence that fuels human trafficking.
“It’s a circle that preys on the desperate, the vulnerable, the marginalised, and the unseen,” he said. “I wrote it to build a bridge of empathy between the abstract horror of a global crisis and the beating heart of a single, human story.”
We Are Providing Basic Infrastructure In Imo, Uzodimma Replies
The Imo State governor, Hope Uzodimma, said he is working assiduously in providing basic infrastructure to the citizenry.
This was made possible by the increase in monthly allocation to the state.
This was made known by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Hon. Oguwuike Nwachuku while interacting with LEADERSHIP.
According to him, he can only give account on what is obtainable in Imo State.
He submitted that workers in the state now enjoys N104, 000 as minimum as minimum wage.
You Have Been Welcoming Profligate Governors With Open arms – ADC
Reacting, the Africa Democratic Congress (ADC) through its national publicity secretary , Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, accused the APC chairman of being hypocritical about the issue, adding that he had been welcoming these same governors with open arms into his party.
He said, “Why is the APC Chairman sounding so helpless? He knows they have messed up, hence the blame game. But the APC does not get to play the ruling party and the opposition at the same time. It is also deeply hypocritical of the APC chairman.
“If he knew that most of the governors have been profligate, and have actually robbed their own people, why has the party been welcoming them with open arms?” Abdullahi said.
