Yemi Obafemi
Former Kano State Governor and presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has stated that the continued neglect of certain regions, particularly the North, has contributed to the worsening insecurity and poverty in the area.
Speaking on Thursday during the Kano State Stakeholders’ Dialogue on the 2025 Constitutional Amendment, Kwankwaso said there is growing concern that the national budget is increasingly skewed in favour of a particular region.
He called on the Federal Government to urgently address what he described as the lopsided allocation of national resources and infrastructure development.
“Let me advise the Federal Government on the distribution of federal resources,” he said. “From the information available to us, it appears most of the national budget is now tilting in one direction in this country.”
“Let me advise those who are struggling by all means to take everything to remember that some of the issues we face today stem from the lack of adequate resources and mismanagement of the little that comes in,” he said.
“That is why we have insecurity, poverty and other challenges. While it is happening mainly here, like a desert, it will eventually spread everywhere.”
Kwankwaso also shared his personal experience with poor infrastructure, citing a recent road trip from Abuja to Kano after his flight was delayed.
“Yesterday, I was supposed to travel by air, but my airline rescheduled the flight from 3pm to 8pm. I had to come by road. The journey from Abuja to Kaduna to Kano was a nightmare. The road is terrible and has been under construction since the early days of the APC administration,” he said.
While expressing support for infrastructure development across all regions, Kwankwaso condemned what he called the “dumping” of national resources in only one part of the country.
“We support infrastructure development anywhere in this country and anything that benefits the masses, but the government must not abandon other regions,” he stressed.
“This is the time for the government to change, to convince our people that the government is not just on one side of the country.”
