Under Tinubu, Nigerians’ freezers will continue to freeze, By Moyosore Gaffar

The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has called upon President Bola Tinubu to clarify how funds intended for the Regional Development Commissions will be allocated and utilized. The party asserts that Nigerians have a right to know where the financial resources will be directed, the specific projects they will fund, and how progress will be monitored and independently verified.

Yusuf Abubakar, the National Publicity Secretary of the APM, emphasized in a statement that transparency is crucial before funds are disbursed. The party expressed its reservations about the President's recent directive to release the funds, arguing that more stringent transparency measures should be implemented beforehand. The APM also questioned the timing of this directive, noting that the National Assembly had already approved a budget of N1.3 trillion for the Regional Development Commissions in March.

They queried why the President decided to release this information just months before the election, despite the budget approval having occurred six months earlier. Additionally, the APM alleged that the Regional Development Commissions have been used as conduits for inflated and unfinished contracts, although they did not present any evidence to support this claim.

In response, the APM demanded that President Tinubu disclose the allocation of funds to each regional commission, the proposed projects and their locations, the precise amounts involved, the contractors linked to these projects, and proof of due diligence certification before any monies are released.